EditorsNote: changed to 3-pointers in 5th and "their" to "its" in 7th graf. Fixed 3-pointers and other minor edits throughout
M.J. Walker scored a game-high 17 points, leading the 22nd-ranked Florida State Seminoles to an 86-58 win over the visiting North Florida Ospreys in a nonconference game on Wednesday night in Tallahassee, Fla.
FSU (1-0), which never trailed, won its 24th consecutive home game, a streak that began in January of 2019. This marked FSU's latest season-opening date since 1975-1976.
This was also the collegiate debut of FSU's Scottie Barnes, a 6-9 freshman forward who is projected by numerous mock drafts to be a first-round pick in 2021, likely among the top dozen picks.
Barnes, ranked as one of 50 players in the country on the Naismith Award watch list, posted eight points, a game-high six assists, six rebounds and just two turnovers.
Walker, a 6-5 senior shooting guard, shot 4-for-8 from the floor, including 3-for-5 on 3-pointers. He also made 6-for-6 from foul line.
Balsa Koprivica, a 7-1 center, added 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks.
North Florida (0-4) is 0-21 against ACC opponents, including its past three games against North Carolina State, Miami and FSU.
Carter Hendricksen, North Florida's leading scorer (17.3) and a 3-point marksman (37.1 percent), was scratched two hours before the game due to a lower-body injury. Hendricksen, a 6-7 junior, was named a preseason All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection.
The Ospreys, who led the nation in 3-pointers made last season with 391, including 25 games with at least 10 makes, shot 38 percent from deep on Wednesday (11-for-27).
Dorian James led North Florida with 13 points. Jacob Crews added 12 points, and Jose Placer had 11.
FSU led by as many as 19 points in the first half and went into the break leading 36-21. FSU's defense forced 13 turnovers (plus-five in that category) and held North Florida to 34.6 shooting in the first half, including 3-of-12 on 3-pointers.
The Seminoles were also plus-nine on rebounds and scored 13 points off North Florida's 13 turnovers.
Midway through the second half, the Ospreys put together a 7-0 run to cut their deficit to 49-36. But FSU recovered a couple of minutes later with a 10-0 run, and the Seminoles cruised from there.
--Field Level Media
