Seminoles Size Too Much For Loyola Marymount

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Loyola Marymount coach Max Good thought he was watching the wrong sport Sunday.

"They play volleyball on the backboards," Good said after watching Florida State defeat his smaller Lions 77-61. "They're so long and wide they make you go east and west."

Unable to penetrate, Loyola Marymount (6-5) had little chance against the rangy Seminoles.

Florida State (8-3) finished the first half on a 22-8 run lead to lead 38-23 at halftime. The Seminoles led by as many as 25 points at 77-52 with 4:18 left in the game.

Bernard James scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to record his fifth double-double of the season. The 6-foot-10 James would've had an even bigger day except for a woeful 3-for-12 showing at the free throw line. Michael Snaer chipped in with 12 points and Xavier Gibson 10, while sophomore Okaro White added a career best 11 rebounds.

"Their big guys can run and James is such a worker," Good said.

James hit 6 of 9 field goals, including a flying dunk on a putback that gave the Seminoles their first 20-point lead at 45-25.

They shot just 48.1 percent at the free throw line, but otherwise dominated the game from the start, outscoring their visitors from California 38-12 in the paint on the strength of 21 offensive rebounds.

"We were much more aggressive (rebounding) than we have been," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We did some nice things, but we still have a ways to go before we become the well-oiled machine we'd like to be."

Anthony Ireland led the Lions with 19 points. C.J. Blackwell added 14 points and Laron Armstead had 11.

Florida State dominated in every phase. The Seminoles shot 43.3 percent to the Lions' 35.7 percent and dominated on the boards with a 49-32 margin. Senior point guard Luke Loucks added a career best eight rebounds in 22 minutes.

The Seminoles have been troubled with excessive turnovers in recent games and had 16 on Sunday, but only six by halftime as they built an early, comfortable lead.

"We're playing with a big lineup and sometimes don't have our best ball handlers," Hamilton said. "Regardless of what our shortcomings are, we have to find ways to overcome them."

Loyola Marymount's only lead was at 5-3 less than two minutes into the game on Ayodeji Egbeyemi's 3-point basket.

Florida State is 7-0 at home this season and has won nine straight on its own court dating back to last season.

Loyola Marymount visits Morgan State on Wednesday while the Seminoles meet 13th-ranked Florida on Thursday.