Florida State and Florida A&M Sports Update

Florida State

Football

Willie Taggart has added former FSU and FAMU High graduate Ron Dugans to the staff. Dugans coached with Taggart at South Florida before taking a job under Mark Richt at Miami. Dugans was the receivers coach at Miami the past three seasons and will replace David Kelly at the same position at Florida State.

A big recruiting weekend is coming up as 3 committed players (DB Brendan Gant, LB Kevon Glenn and DL Quashon Fuller) are taking their final trip to Tallahassee before signing day on February 6. Uncommitted players that are taking their visits this weekend are QB Lance LeGendre, OL Ira Henry, OL Kamaar Ball, LB Eugene Asante, DL Charles Moore, LB Shammond Cooper, K Ryan Fitzgerald and WR Alante Brown.

Men’s basketball

The Seminoles lost a strange game at Boston College over the weekend. FSU led by 10 at halftime but got down as many as 14 in second half and eventually fell 85-80 to the Eagles. That loss dropped the Seminoles out of the AP top 25 and to a 1-4 conference record. The lone bright spot versus Boston College was the play of Mfiondu Kabengele. He scored 26 points and gathered up 9 rebounds.

On Tuesday Florida State struggled in the first half versus Clemson but bounced back in a huge way in the second half outscoring the Tigers by 17. In the final 20 minutes the Seminoles were able to play good defense without fouling and moved the ball well on offense allowing them to find their shooting stroke once again going 10-22 from beyond the arc. Sophomore sensation Kabengele lead the Seminoles in scoring with 17 and David Nichols finished with 16 points going 4-5 from long distance.

Hopefully the hot shooting will continue when the Seminoles head to Miami to try to complete the sweep of the Hurricanes on Sunday at 6 on ESPNU.

Women’s basketball

Last Sunday Florida State defeated the struggling to Duke Blue Devils in Tallahassee 66-62. The Seminoles went into halftime up by 12 but had to hold the Blue Devils in the final minutes. Kiah Gillespie led FSU in points and rebounds with 17 and 9 respectively.

Last night the ‘Noles were hammered home by number four Louisville 68-49. After only scoring six in the first quarter FSU was never able to really get back in the game.

Next up is a road trip to Blacksburg, Virginia to take on Virginia Tech on Sunday at 2 PM. The lady ‘Noles are currently 16-3 overall and 4-2 in ACC with a no. 22 ranking in the AP poll.

Men’s and women’s tennis

This weekend FSU hosts the ITA kickoff weekend as the no. 20 men take on Texas Tech and the no. 15 women take on Tennessee.

Florida A&M

Basketball

FAMU men’s and women’s basketball both fell to Maryland-Eastern Shore on Saturday in Tallahassee but were able to sweep the Delaware State Hornets in the Lawson Center this past week. Next up is a trip to Coppin State on Saturday for both teams. The men’s team is 6-14 overall but 3-2 in conference. The ladies are 3-14 overall and are 1-4 in the MEAC.