Florida State took out its frustrations Friday night on the worst team in Division I basketball.
Chauncey Wiggins had 16 points on 6 of 10 shooting and Robert McCray scored 13 points and dished out seven assists as FSU snapped a five-game losing streak with a 96-49 win over Mississippi Valley State. McCray shot 5 of 9 from the floor.
Cam Miles also had 15 points and five assists.
FSU (6-6) had lost to Texas A&M, Georgia, Houston, UMass and Dayton in consecutive games. But playing their first home game since a Dec. 2 loss to Georgia, the Seminoles were dominant from the start.
The Seminoles led 54-17 at the half and shot 46.4 percent (32 of 69) from the floor on the night.
“One of our core values is joy,” FSU coach Luke Loucks said. “So I told the guys to enjoy this win tonight regardless of how many mistakes we made in the second half. We'll correct what we need to correct tomorrow. It certainly feels good to win.”
The Seminoles made 13 of 40 3-pointers (32.5 percent). McCray was 2 of 4 from deep, while Wiggins and AJ Swinton were 2 of 5.
FSU forced 26 turnovers and scored 31 points off turnovers. The Seminoles were credited with 14 steals, including two apiece by Kobe MaGee, Alex Steen and Lajae Jones.
Michael James scored 19 points for Mississippi Valley State (1-11), which was ranked 365th (last) in DI by KenPom.
FSU won for the first time in December, and Loucks said the stretch of five losses challenged him and the players. When asked to outline some of the issues from the losses, Loucks mentioned a long list of concerns and emphasized many of them were on the defensive end of the court.
“I felt like I was in the Sahara desert looking for water this last stretch,” Loucks said. “A lot of our mistakes are self-correctable. A lot of them were self-inflicted over this last stretch. I thought we took a step in the right direction regardless of the opponent tonight. Just to see the ball go in a little bit, to see our defense get some stops and work together as a team was good to see. But we still have a long way to go.”
Even though Loucks was speaking after a blowout win, he was often reflective and critical as it was the first opportunity for him to meet with the local media since the loss to Georgia. Loucks spoke less about individual players and more about the big picture, the need for them to take hold and lead and determine what the season will become.
“Building a program is challenging and it's tough. You have to have patience. I don't have a lot of patience. You have to have a vision for what you're doing regardless of the bumps in the road.
“Our fans, I think, are very upset. And I would be too if I was a fan of this program right now. But there is a belief within these walls of what we're doing and where we're going. It's just going to take some time.”
Up next
FSU plays host to Jacksonville University in their final non-conference game on Monday at 7 p.m.
The Seminoles will have a long break for the holidays before travelling to North Carolina on Dec. 30.
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