3 takeaways as FSU Basketball pulls away in second half for win over UT-Martin

Florida State had a week off after the loss to rival Florida, and they returned home to face Tennessee-Martin, one of the more fascinating low-major teams. Their roster is made up of almost all international players, so they shoot well, and they play a connected brand of basketball.

When UT-Martin wasn't making a shot, they were turning it over. And that shooting kept them in it, especially since FSU was struggling to score around the rim initially. They were even getting killed on the glass, and even though the Seminoles weren't giving up second-chance points, it still wasn't the effort they needed on the glass to take advantage of the game. And that's why FSU only led by three going into halftime.

But Florida State started to take control with a 16-2 run to start the second half, forcing six turnovers in the first four minutes. The one thing the Seminoles had in this game was the ability to force turnovers and take care of the ball on their end. Because they weren't as efficient from three, and they were ice cold from the free-throw line. But those turnovers kept things in their favor.

However, that didn't take UT-Martin out of it. They kept chipping away at the lead and got it down to 7 a few different times as Florida State kept struggling with fouls, which has been a theme this season for the Seminoles. Even Luke Loucks picked up a technical foul.

Cam Miles stepped in for Robert McCray V, who was dealing with foul trouble in the second half, and had a really impressive performance. He's someone I heard a lot about this offseason, and this was easily his most consistent game. He helped push FSU to the finish line, as they came away with an 87-73 win.

Miles led the way with 17 points, but McCray wasn't far behind with 16 points and 7 assists.

FSU will play against Georgia Southern at home on Friday. Here are three takeaways from this win.

Florida State Seminoles head coach Luke Loucks jokes with the referee. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Alcorn State Braves 108-76 on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. | Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1. UT-Martin has a squad

I was already bullish on UT-Martin coming into this game, and I was still really impressed with how they played. If they can find a way to cut down on their turnovers, they're going to be a real threat to win the Ohio Valley Conference. They have shooting from a few really impressive players, mainly Andrija Bukumirovic and Matas Deniusas. They rebound well. And they clearly know how they want to play. That means a lot at that level.

2. Weirdly Cold Free-Throw Shooting Night

Luke Loucks has prided himself on making sure his teams shoot free throws well. And they were very poor at the line tonight, going just 13-23. Loucks will make them run and shoot a lot for that night, but this could've cost them against a better team. Take the lessons with a win and move forward.

3. Rebounding May be an Issue

Rebounding, however, has not been pretty this season. And this is far from the only game in which this has been an issue. Alex Steen is a fine rebounder, but especially without Chauncey Wiggins, FSU really struggled to come down with rebounds, getting out-rebounded 41-34 by UT-Martin. That's going to continue to a point of emphasis on the opposing team's scouting reports.

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