TALLAHASSEE – The Florida State women’s basketball team fell to Indiana on Sunday night at the Donald L. Civic Center, 76-72. 

The back-and-forth affair between the Seminoles (3-2) and Hoosiers (4-0) saw six ties and four lead changes as three Seminoles contributed double figures. 

 

Senior guard Sydney Bowles led the effort with 19 points followed by junior guard Jasmine Shavers with 16 points and junior center Pania Davis with 12 points. Davis and junior forward Avery Treadwell each led with seven rebounds. 

 

As a team, Florida State shot 40 percent from the field and accounted for 40 points scored in the paint. The Seminoles utilized the free-throw line heavily going 20-of-26 from the stripe, led by Bowles, who converted eight, tying a career high.

 

Florida State edged Indiana in rebounds (36-34), steals (5-3) and blocks (3-1) in a defense-dominant showing.

 

The first quarter saw a slow start for the Seminole offense, but back-to-back threes from Bowles and junior guard Emma Risch powered a quick comeback in the final minutes. Davis and sophomore guard Tatum Greene would put up a pair of blocks to halt the Hoosiers’ initial momentum. Indiana led 17-12 after the first 10 minutes.

 

Consecutive jumpers from Bowles contributed to a 6-0 scoring run halfway through the second quarter as both teams scrapped. The Seminoles took advantage of the free-throw line, going 5-of-6 from the stripe across the last three minutes. After several ties throughout the quarter, Indiana pulled away with a narrow 32-29 lead going into halftime. 

 

Bowles led with 12 points at the half and Davis and Treadwell made up half of the team’s total rebounds with five each. 

 

Another 6-0 run by the Seminoles and a similar drought from the Hoosiers produced another neck-and-neck start to the third quarter. Shavers stripped the lead with a free throw with 3:24 left and would go on to contribute eight points on a game-changing 13-5 run over the final four minutes. A game-best 27-point quarter would propel Florida State to a 56-50 lead going into the fourth. 

 

Indiana would match Florida State’s effort from the previous quarter going into the final 10 minutes of play. Florida State visited the free-throw a game-high 12 times throughout the fourth. The Seminoles pulled within two after Emma Risch drove to the basket with 39 seconds left, but Indiana held on, 76-72.

 

The game served as the Seminoles Military Appreciation game and also featured the retirement of Natasha Howard’s No. 33 jersey. 

 

Howard played for Florida State from 2011-2014, earning one of the most decorated careers in program history. She was the first Seminole to break over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and was a three-time All-ACC selection as well as a two-time member of the All-ACC Defensive team. Drafted by the Indiana Fever in 2014, she continues to enjoy an impressive WNBA career: she is a two-time member of the All-Defensive Team, a two-time All-Star and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.

Florida State will travel to Gainesville, Fla. for a meeting with Florida on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m., which will be streamed on the SEC Network. The Seminoles return home on Sunday, Nov. 23 to face Illinois for their annual Seminole Heritage game. The game will air on the ACC Network Extra (ACCNX). 

 

For more updates on FSU women’s basketball, follow the team on Instagram (FSUWBB), X (FSUWBB) and Facebook (FSUWomensBasketball).