Daniel Hankins-Sanford delivered a career night and the UMass offense caught fire after halftime as the Minutemen rallied past Florida State for a 103-95 victory Saturday in the AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.
Hankins-Sanford posted a career-high 26 points and added 10 rebounds, scoring 18 of those points in the second half to fuel UMass’s surge. K’Jei Parker also enjoyed a breakout performance, pouring in a career-best 24 points as the Minutemen (8-3) erased a four-point halftime deficit and pulled away late.
Trailing 47-43 at the break, UMass flipped the script with crisp ball movement and efficient shooting. Leonardo Bettiol finished with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, while Marcus Banks matched him with 18 points. Danny Carbuccia orchestrated the offense with eight assists.
The Minutemen seized control for good on Bettiol’s and-one with 14:10 remaining, igniting a run that pushed the lead into double digits. UMass later stretched the margin to as many as 18 points, then sealed the outcome with a decisive 10-0 burst down the stretch. Florida State managed a 12-2 run in the closing minutes, but the rally came too late.
Florida State (5-5) was led by Robert McCray V, who recorded 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting to go with 11 assists and eight rebounds. Martin Somerville added 15 points but struggled from the floor, going 3-for-11. Kobe Magee and AJ Swinton chipped in 12 points apiece.
The win marked UMass’s fifth straight and evened the all-time series between the programs at 5-5. It also served as a measure of redemption after Florida State dominated the previous meeting, a 92-59 Seminoles win on Nov. 24, 2024. For FSU, the loss extended a skid to four straight.
Up next, Florida State travels to Dayton on Tuesday, while UMass returns home to host Kent State on Dec. 20 to open Mid-American Conference play.
