Ponder Pulls Down 21 Rebounds as Florida State Beats Auburn 82–71

Florida State’s first exhibition test ended with a win — and a big statement on the glass from Marcis Ponder.

The Seminoles defeated Auburn 82–71 in their exhibition at Boutwell Memorial Auditorium in Birmingham, overcoming a five-point halftime deficit with a 50-point second half.

Kameron Taylor led Florida State with 19 points, but Ponder delivered the performance that stood out most: 13 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks. Twelve of his rebounds came on the offensive end. His performance proved that all the hype out of high school was warranted.

Ponder Makes His Presence Felt in His First College Game

For a Florida State team that shot just 33.3% from the field, Ponder’s work around the basket mattered.

His 12 offensive rebounds alone nearly matched Auburn’s team total of 14. The Seminoles finished with a 51–40 rebounding advantage and outscored the Tigers 15–6 in second-chance points.

Ponder also avoided committing a turnover in his 25 minutes and picked up only one foul. This was a surprise for the true freshman, who was going up against experienced Auburn centers.

Florida State Bounces Back After Halftime

The Seminoles trailed 37–32 at the break after shooting 10-for-36 from the field. It was a rough first half offensively, with almost no organized offense.

Their offense improved after halftime, with Florida State shooting 11-for-27 and outscoring Auburn 50–34 over the final 20 minutes.

The biggest difference came at the free-throw line. FSU made 25 of its 29 second-half attempts — something FSU struggled with last year — and finished 34-for-40 overall, good for 85%. Auburn went 10-for-14 for the game.

Taylor made all 10 of his free throws, while Sebastian Rancik went 11-for-13 on his way to 14 points. Shon Abaev added 15 points and eight rebounds.

Finding a Way to Win

Florida State earned the victory despite making only six of its 19 three-point attempts.

The Seminoles recorded 13 steals, forced 18 turnovers and held Auburn to 34.3% shooting. They also finished with a 24–10 advantage in fast-break points. The defense had a really solid showing, especially on the interior.

Tahaad Pettiford led Auburn with 20 points, but the Tigers shot just 28.6% from the field after halftime.

There’s still room for Florida State to improve offensively. Rancik scored 14 despite going 1-for-9 from the floor, and the Seminoles finished with 14 turnovers against 10 assists.

Still, FSU found enough offense to beat an Auburn team that is considered a top-25 contender to start the year.

Full Game Box Score

An Encouraging First Game

Exhibition results come with limits, but Florida State gave fans reasons to feel really excited about this season.

If the team can replicate the offensive showing we saw in the second half, then this team has a real opportunity to make a lot of noise inside the ACC.