TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Aaron Thomas scored 14 points as Florida State won its season opener 81-66 over visiting Manhattan in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic. Jarquez Smith chipped in 13 points and Montay Brandon added 12 Saturday afternoon.
Manhattan jumped to a 23-13 lead thanks to some deadly shooting from behind the arc. The Jaspers' first seven field goals came from 3-point range. Shane Richards carried the load with 14 first-half points and finished with 17 points.
Florida State had some trouble with the Jaspers' energy early and had 15 first-half turnovers. Fouls, however, fueled the FSU comeback. The Seminoles knocked down 15 of 20 free-throw attempts in the first half, including 11 during a 24-8 run to close the opening 20 minutes and take a 37-31 lead into the break.
Manhattan went cold after the hot start and shot just 25.9 percent in the first half and 28.6 percent for the game.
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