Box Score

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Ashton Smith (Scarborough, ON/West Hill Collegiate) scored 18 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists, as IUP opened its 2011-12 season with an 80-51 loss to Florida State in a men's basketball exhibition on Monday night at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee.

The Crimson Hawks kept it close in the game's first seven minutes before Florida State broke it open with a 20-4 run that stretched its lead to 28-11 with 6:11 left before half. The Seminoles then increased their lead to 22 before going into the break ahead 38-18.

IUP was able to cut its deficit to 16 after back-to-back jumpers by Marcel Souberbielle (Montevideo, Uruguay/Uruguayan American School) and Anthony Wells (Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights) earl in the second. Florida State then answered with a 10-0 run before ultimately closing out the Crimson Hawks with a 29-point win.

Bernard James had a double-double for the Seminoles, scoring 13 points and adding 10 boards, while Xavier Gibson also netted 13 points for FSU.

Smith finished 6-of-18 from the field for IUP, going 6-of-8 from the foul line in 36 minutes. Julian Sanders (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) scored 17 points, hitting 3-of-7 from three-point range, and adding four rebounds and two steals.

IUP will travel to Loyola College (Maryland) on Thursday in its second and final exhibition before the Crimson Hawks season opener at the Kovalchick Complex on November 12.