Florida State Shows Off New-Look Squad in Exhibition Win

The Florida State men’s basketball team prepared for the upcoming 2026-27 season with an exhibition victory over Auburn on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Birmingham, Ala.

Marcis Ponder scored 13 points and grabbed 21 rebounds for the game’s only double-double to lead the Seminoles past the Tigers 82-71. Ponder got all of his points from within the key, shooting 4-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.

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Ponder grew up in Miami but played high school ball at the Gillion Basketball Academy in Virginia. He was a four-star recruit before committing to Florida State.

Seminoles head coach Luke Loucks thought he struck gold when he landed one of the top center prospects in the nation. His double-double in his first impression is an indicator of what to expect this season.

Kameron Taylor led the Seminoles with 19 points, including a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe. Taylor joins the Seminoles after two seasons at UNC Asheville.

Shon Abaev scored 15 points with eight rebounds. He joins the Seminoles after spending his freshman season at Cincinnati.

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Sebastian Rancik added 14 points with an 11-of-13 clip from the free-throw line. Rancik came to Florida State after two seasons in Colorado.

Tahaad Pettiford led the Tigers with 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting, including 4-of-11 from the three-point line. Adam Olsen added 11 points and Kevin Overton chipped in 10 points.

The Seminoles out-rebounded the Tigers 51-40 and made 20 more free throws than they attempted. Free throws made the difference for Florida State, as Auburn still lost despite making three more field goals and seven more three-pointers. The Seminoles held the Tigers to 28.6 percent from the floor and 26.3 percent from three.

The Seminoles established a 14-13 lead with 11:16 remaining in the first half. FSU stretched a 22-13 lead with an 8-0 run sparked by a three-point shot by Anthony Robinson II.

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The Tigers responded with a three-point shot by Pettiford and proceeded to…

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Publish date : 2026-10-15 09:29:00

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