TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton referred to Terance Mann as a “stat stuffer” when he was a freshman two years ago because of his ability to play an all-around game.
On Wednesday night, Mann delivered one of the best games of his collegiate career.
The 6-foot-6 junior guard scored a career-high 30 points and led the Seminoles with five rebounds and five assists in an 88-77 win over Georgia Tech.
“I was just attacking, attacking, attacking. I want to be like that every game but tonight it just played out well,” said Mann, who has seven games this season where he has scored 20 points or more. “Once you see the ball going through the net you want to keep going.”
Florida State (15-5) lost three of its first four Atlantic Coast Conference games but has won two straight and three of its last four to even its conference record to 4-4.
Mann - whose previous career high was 25 points in games earlier this season at Florida and against Louisville - hit his first seven shots and was 10 of 13 from the field. He scored 21 points in the first half, including nine of the Seminoles’ final 14 points in the frame as they led 50-36 at halftime.
“He continues to improve in all areas and playing to his strengths,” Hamilton said of Mann. “He is starting to talk to teammates more and get them involved. He has his best basketball ahead of him.”
Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner said many of Mann’s points came from defensive lapses.
“He was just kicking our butt and a lot of it was on straight-line drives,” Pastner said.
Braian Angola added 19 points and Phil Cofer 12 for Florida State, which has won 30 of its last 31 at home.
Jose Alvarado led Georgia Tech (10-10, 3-4) with 23 points while Josh Okogie added 16 points and 16 rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets outrebounded the Seminoles by eight (34-26) but turned it over 16 times, which led to 24 FSU points. It is the third straight game that they have had 15 or more turnovers.
“We can survive Mann scoring 30 if we don’t turn it over,” Pastner said. “I have to start being more direct with our players. If we turn it over, then they come out. It might be musical chairs but we’ll see how that works.”
BIG PICTURE
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are ranked second in the ACC in scoring defense, holding opponents to 62.2 points per game in conference play, but this is the second straight game where they have allowed 80 or more points. The 88 allowed on Wednesday is a season high.
Florida State: Mann is the first Seminoles’ player to score 30 or more since Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 30 against North Carolina on Jan. 4, 2016. He is the fifth FSU player to do it since the start of the 2010-11 season.
TURNING POINTS
The game was close for the first 14 minutes until Florida State scored six straight points on an Angola 4-point play and a Mann breakaway dunk gave the Seminoles a 34-27 lead with 5:04 remaining.
In the second half Georgia Tech got within 74-67 before FSU went on a 12-1 run, which included two straight 3-pointers from Angola, to put it out of reach.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
Angola is averaging 18.9 points in ACC games, which is fourth. He has scored 17 or more points in four of the last five games.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech: Hosts 18th-ranked Clemson on Sunday.
Florida State: Hosts Miami on Saturday. The Hurricanes won the first meeting 80-74 on Jan. 7.
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