FSU Women Open With a Defensive Storm: 81-51 Over Merrimack Behind Freshman Morgan Stewart
Florida State forced 34 turnovers, turned them into 45 points and collected 18 steals in Tallahassee - and its best player on opening night was a freshman playing her first college game.
Florida State's women opened their season the way defensive teams dream about. The Seminoles beat Merrimack 81-51 on Monday night at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, forcing 34 turnovers and converting them into 45 points in a game that was close for exactly one quarter.
The headline belonged to a freshman. Guard Morgan Stewart, playing her first regular-season college game, paced all scorers with 13 points and filled the rest of the line too - four steals, three assists and three rebounds - as one of five Seminoles in double figures. Beside her, freshman forward Odom started the opener, the first true freshman forward in Florida State's starting lineup for a season opener since Valencia Myers in 2018. The Seminoles collected 18 steals as a team, Stewart and Greene leading with four apiece.
The game turned in bursts: after Merrimack hung within 16-15 through the first quarter, Florida State closed the first half on a 15-0 run to lead 38-19, then closed the third quarter on a 22-2 run that stretched the margin to 67-28 and ended the contest as a contest. It completed an opening-night sweep for the school - the men routing Florida A&M in Tampa the same evening - and the women get a quick second test at home: North Florida visits the Tucker Center on Thursday at 11 a.m. for Education Day.
