NEW YORK (AP) Adut Bulgak scored 20 points, hitting 10 of her 13 shots, and Brittany Brown added 15 points to lead No. 14 Florida State to a 78-42 win over LIU on Friday in the Blackbirds' Turkey Classic.
The Seminoles (4-1) welcomed back guard Leticia Romero, who missed the last three games after spraining her left ankle against rival Florida in the season opener. She had four points and four assists in 18 minutes.
After a tight six-point win over Tulane, Florida State has rolled through its last three games, routing UAB, North Florida and now LIU.
The Blackbirds hung around for the first seven minutes, taking brief leads. The game was tied at 15 with just over 3 minutes left in the first quarter before the Seminoles closed the period with an 8-0 run.
Florida State expanded its lead to 15 points in the second quarter, but LIU was able to hang around, going 10 of 12 from the free throw line. The Blackbirds trailed 41-26 at the half. The Seminoles put the game away in the third, scoring 12 of the first 14 points in the period.
The Blackbirds didn't get a basket in the third quarter until Paris Jones hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2:57 left. That made it 53-31 before Florida State pulled away, seeing its lead reach 36 in the final minute.
Jones scored 12 to lead the Blackbirds (1-2).
After playing their first two games on the road, LIU opened at home against the No. 14 team in the country. It was the first ranked team to play at LIU in recent memory.
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TIP-INS:
Florida State: The Seminoles improved to 15-0 all-time against New York opponents. This was the first time they've played LIU. Coach Sue Semrau's team hadn't been to the Big Apple since 2006 when they beat Fordham by 50. The Seminoles took advantage of being in New York, taking in a show on Broadway and taking a tour of the City.
LIU: The Blackbirds were coming off their first win under new coach Stephanie Oliver. They scored 89 points to beat Howard, the most for LIU since 2002. The team shot 61.5 percent from the field, the best in a decade.
UP NEXT:
Florida State vs. Sam Houston State on Saturday
LIU vs. Sam Houston State on Sunday
