The Sports Xchange
Dec 10, 2017
Guard Braian Angola had 18 points and eight rebounds as Florida State continued its perfect start with a 72-53 win against Tulane on Saturday in a neutral-site game during the Heritage Insurance Classic at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
The Seminoles (9-0) began the day as one of just seven unbeaten teams left in Division I, and are off to their best start since the 2003-04 season, when that year's team went 10-0 before losing a game.
Tulane (7-3) never led in the game, but the Green Wave did close the Seminoles' lead to as few as six points in the first half before going to halftime down 29-17. Florida State picked up the pace in the second half and grew its lead to as many as 26 points with 8:39 left in the game.
Angola was 6 of 10 from the field. Fellow guards Trent Forrest and Terance Mann also reached double figures for the Seminoles with 12 points each, while Forrest added six rebounds and four assists in the win.
The Green Wave were paced by forward Cameron Reynolds with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Tulane forward Blake Paul added 12 points and eight rebounds, but no other players reached double figures for the Green Wave, who committed 19 turnovers in the loss.
Sunday's game marked the 36th meeting all-time between Tulane and Florida State, which leads the series 24-12. The Seminoles and Green Wave hadn't met since 1995 before Sunday, but Florida State has now won seven of the last nine in the series, which began in 1966. The two teams used to both be members of the now-defunct Metro Conference.
Florida State now gets six days off before its next game, but the Seminoles will stay on the road when they face Oklahoma State in Game 1 of the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Fla., on Dec. 16.
Tulane next plays on Dec. 18 when it hosts Nicholls.