Despite shooting 53 percent from the field and a game-high 24 points from guard Aaron Thomas, Florida State was upset by Northeastern, 76-73 at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Tuesday night.
The Seminoles used a 12-2 run to take a 56-51 lead with under 14 minutes to play in the second half, but the Huskies answered with six straight points.
A three-point play from Northeastern’s David Walker with 3:15 to play put the Huskies ahead for good, 69-66.
Down 76-73 with under a minute remaining, FSU had two opportunities to draw to even or to within one, but failed to score. Xavier Rathan-Mayes’ potential game-tying trey went awry, giving Northeastern the victory.
Thomas added six steals to go with his 24 points for the Seminoles while Montay Brandon added 16 points on 8-for-8 shooting, making him a perfect 12-for-12 from the field on the year. Brandon led the ‘Noles with seven rebounds.
Freshman Phil Cofer was the only other FSU player in double-figures with 14 points.
The Huskies were fueled by three-point shooting, going 9-for-15 from beyond the arc. David Walker led Northeastern with 22 points, going 7-for-10 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from deep.
Forward Quincy Ford also connected on four triples and finished with 18 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Scott Eatherton chipped in with 16 points in the victory.
At 1-1, Florida State will leave Tallahassee for the first time as it faces Providence in Uncasville, Connecticut on Saturday. Northeastern (2-0) takes on Navy in its home-opener on Saturday.
