Troy University Athletics
Troy University
0-2,0-0Sun Belt
Florida State
2-0,0-0ACC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troy | 26 | 42 | 68 |
| Florida St. | 37 | 54 | 91 |
11/6/2026 10:10:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Troy men's basketball suffered its second defeat to open the season Friday night, falling to Florida State, 91-68, on the road.
Troy (0-2) went toe-to-toe with the Seminoles from the field, narrowly trailing in points in the paint (26-24) as well field-goal percentage. Troy shot 41.8 percent (23-of-55), while Florida State finished at 43.1 percent (25-of-58).
However, Florida State (2-0) found its advantage at the free-throw line, earning 39 attempts and converting 34.
Caden Diggs and Sam Walters led the Trojans in scoring with 11 points apiece, while Jacoi Hutchinson finished with eight points, six assists and five rebounds.
Four Florida State players scored in double figures, led by Shon Abeav with 20 points. Abeav also added six assists and seven rebounds. Marcis Ponder recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Florida State scored the first six points of the evening, including a four-point play by Abeav.
Hutchinson put Troy on the board with a pull-up jumper, but a 4:17 scoreless stretch followed, allowing the Seminoles to build a 12-2 lead. Kerrington Kiel broke the drought with a 3-pointer, marking his first points of the season.
Robert Davis Jr. followed with his first basket of the year, a 3-pointer that sparked a 7-0 Troy run, the Trojans' largest of the night.
Two Troy players made their collegiate debuts Friday, including Romain Valakou, who saw first-half action. Valakou got on the scoresheet with a layup that cut the Florida State lead to 25-19 with 5:55 remaining in the first half.
Tucker Wadsworth entered in the second half, earning the first minutes of his collegiate career.
Both teams shot 32 percent (9-of-28) from the field in the first half, but Florida State was able to create separation at the free-throw line, converting 15-of-18 attempts. The Seminoles also outrebonded the Trojans 25-11, and took a 37-26 lead into the locker room.
On the opening possession of the second half, Davis Jr. connected on his third 3-pointer of the night. All but one of the fourth-year's field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc.
Troy then missed its next four shots before Donovan Oday converted a driving layup and drew a foul. Oday missed the free throw, leaving Florida State with a 45-33 lead.
Both teams began finding their rhythm offensively, including two deep 3-pointers from Walters. His second triple cut the Seminoles' lead to nine, but five quick points from Florida State pushed the advantage back into double digits.
The Trojans were unable to get any closer as Florida State began to pull away. The Seminoles scored 54 points in the second half while shooting 53.3 percent from the field.
Despite the second-half Seminole surge, Walters turned in his best half in a Trojan uniform. The SMU transfer knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 11 points in 12 minutes before fouling out.
Florida State dribbled out the remaining seconds to walk away with a 91-68 victory.
Quotable – Head coach Adam Howard
"Their size was a huge problem for us. The margins from the free throw line were the biggest key. We just fouled way too much. But they've got one of the biggest rosters we'll see all year, and at the end of the day these guys took advantage of the size they have."
Notables
- Troy is now 1-5 all-time against Florida State.
- Romain Valakou and Tucker Wadsworth both earned their first collegiate minutes; Valakou finished with five points.
- Florida State shot 39 free throws, making 34 (87.2%). The 39 free throws were the most for a Troy opponent in a non-overtime game since Feb. 15, 2020, against Louisiana.
- The Seminoles' 54-point second half marks the first time Troy has allowed 50 or more points in a half since Nov. 18, 2025, when the Trojans surrendered 51 second-half points to San Diego State.
- Sam Walters' seven 3-point attempts were a career high.
Up Next
The Trojans return home next Tuesday, November 10 for a matchup with Loyola Marymount. Tip-off from Trojan Arena is set for 6 p.m., with the action streaming on ESPN+ and available to listen to on the Troy Sports Media Network.
