1/15/2023 basketball Edit

Morgan Jones scores 25 points in return to defeat FSU

Sara Bejedi scored 25 points, her third straight game surpassing 20 points, for FSU on Sunday. (Mike Olivella)

Bob Ferrante • TheOsceola

Editor

Florida State could only hope Morgan Jones would not be red-hot in her return to Tallahassee. But she instead scored 15 second-half points to help Louisville rally and escape with a win.

Jones scored a season-high 25 points on 9 of 10 shooting and pulled down 10 rebounds and Hailey Van Lith made some tough jump shots late as Louisville rallied from a six-point deficit going into the final quarter and defeat FSU 82-75 on Sunday afternoon.

"We couldn't find a way to stop her," FSU coach Brooke Wyckoff said. "She came in here highly motivated. She just came off a really good game where she kind of felt her stride against Virginia Tech in her loss there. She came out and did her thing."

Sara Bejedi’s emergence on the offensive end of the court was a welcome and needed addition as she scored 25 points on 8 of 17 shooting before fouling out in the game’s final seconds. It was Bejedi’s third straight game with 20 or more points.

Bejedi had 26 points in the overtime loss at Boston College and then 21 points in the upset of No. 11 NC State on Thursday.

"Confidence is there," Bejedi said. "I definitely would have wanted the win. I'm going to keep doing what I can to help my team win."

While Louisville committed 18 turnovers, the Cardinals won the rebounding battle 42-28 and outscored FSU 31-18 in the final quarter. Louisville shot 13 of 18 in the final quarter while FSU was 6 of 15.

Jones had a crucial offensive board, and she had the putback while being fouled (and made the subsequent free throw) to push Louisville’s lead to 77-72 with 1:36 left.

"In the fourth quarter, credit to them — we couldn't get a stop and they scored," Wyckoff said. "They were on a tear in that quarter."

Makayla Timpson scored 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds for FSU, while Ta’Niya Latson scored 11 points but struggled throughout the game and shot just 3 of 16 while adding four rebounds.

FSU (16-4, 5-2 ACC) suffered from a 1-for-7 stretch in the fourth quarter while Louisville couldn’t be slowed down.

Van Lith added 14 of her 20 points in the second half, often drilling off-balance jumpers, and she shot 8 of 18 for Louisville (14-6, 5-2). Jones also had 10 points in the third quarter, including a pair of wide-open jumpers from about 15 feet near the FSU bench.

The Seminoles shot 25 of 66 (37.9 percent) from the floor and 7 of 20 (35 percent) from beyond the arc.

FSU's loss essentially halts discussion of the Seminoles being ranked. They had been making quite the argument following a win over No. 11 NC State on Thursday.

Morgan Jones scores 25 points in return to defeat FSU

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