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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Florida State Seminoles have climbed in the rankings with an efficient and balanced offense.The defense and rebounding are pretty good, too.Nicole Ekhomu scored 16 points and Ivey Slaughter had 14 points and 10 rebounds to help the No. 8 Seminoles beat Minnesota 75-61 on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.Reserve center Chatrice White added 13 points and seven rebounds for Florida State (7-1) in its six straight victory. The Seminoles had 11 blocked shots, eight steals and held Minnesota to 33.9 percent shooting.Its our bread-and-butter, Slaughter said. I think thats what makes us a great team on the offensive end because of how we start with defense. Defense is our key.Florida State outrebounded Minnesota 51-32, including 23 offensive rebounds -- leading to 18 second-chance points.Kenisha Bell scored 17 points and Carlie Wagner added 15 for the Gophers (4-3). They have lost three in a row.It was disappointing, Minnesota coach MarleneStollings said. I just dont think that we handled their physicality. We knew they were a very solid rebounding team. But having played against Georgia and North Carolina and outrebounded both teams, I had higher expectation that we would handle the physicality a little bit better than we did.The Seminoles used a 12-2 run at the start of the second quarter to open up a 42-19 lead, their biggest of the night.STAT OF THE NIGHTFlorida State recorded a season-high with the 23 offensive rebounds. The Seminoles made any chance of a comeback difficult by grabbing seven offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone.The Gophers entered the game averaging 47.3 rebounds per game, with a plus-3.3 rebounding margin. Florida State had tallied 38.3 rebounds per game and outrebounded opponents by 7.0 per game.We knew that it would be a battle on the boards, Florida State coach Sue Semrau said. We havent been to the same form that we were last year on the boards. That was something we felt like we needed to grow coming into this game. I thought Ivey was tremendous. She is a great rebounder and it was her turn to step up and really assert herself there.STAR WATCHOn the same day she was named one of 50 players on the Naismith Trophy watch list, Wagner was held to her second-lowest scoring game of the season.Wagner entered the game averaging 21.2 points per game to go with 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. She shot a season-low 12 times against Florida State, hitting six shots. She also had a season low with two rebounds.BIG PICTUREFlorida State: The Seminoles showed they are more than just Leticia Romero and Shakayla Thomas. The teams top two scorers combined for six points. Romero, who entered averaging 14.8 points, had five rebounds and five assists but only took three shots and went scoreless. Thomas was averaging 15.4 points per game. She scored six points on Wednesday. Instead, the bench contributed 37 points, with two players in double figures.Minnesota: The teams shooting is proving to be a concern. The Gophers entered the game averaging 79.2 points, but were shooting 40.4 percent from the field. Minnesota shot 33.9 percent just two games after a season-low 27.1 percent in a loss to Georgia.POLL IMPLICATIONSBack-to-back wins against the Big Ten will certainly look good on Florida States resume, but beating Minnesota wont provide much of a boost. The two previous wins -- against then-No. 25 Gonzaga and 6-1 Michigan -- were more important, as well as the upcoming meeting with No. 19 Florida.UP NEXTFlorida State: An extended stretch of road games, which included winning the Paradise Jam Championship in the Virgin Islands, is over. The Seminoles have some time off before hosting Western Carolina on Dec. 4.Minnesota: Off their first loss at home, the Gophers will try to get back on track when they host Detroit on Dec. 3. Cheap Air Jordans From China . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. Cheap Jordans .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http://www.airjordanoutlet.us/ . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. Jordans Clearacne . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Air Jordan Store On Sale . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. The Queensland Firebirds have confirmed their roster for the new Australian netball league, locking in the title-winning shooting combination of Romelda Aiken and Gretel Tippett.But the reigning trans-Tasman champions will be counting on young talent to step up if they are to claim a third straight title after losing captain Laura Geitz (pregnancy), key defender Clare McMeniman (retirement) and centre Kim Ravaillion (Collingwood).Laura Clemesha, who has been an understudy to Geitz and McMeniman for the last four seasons, will form a new-look back court with promising goal keeper Kate Shimmin, lured across from the Adelaide Thunderbirds.Rookie Mahalia Cassidy, 20, has been earmarked as Ravaillions replacement in midcourt.The rest of Queenslands super seven starting side - which won the last two trans-Tasman grand finals - remains intact, with the retention of Jamaican Aiken on a two-year deal the biggest coup.Aiken was in huge demand from rival sides but the 27-year-old said she never intended to play for anyone else.It wasnt a hard decision. Ive been here since 2008 and this has been home for me, said Aiken, the Firebirds player of the yearr who finished as the trans-Tasman competitions all-timeny (Brazel).Its going to be an exciting year and I cant wait to start playing netball again.Coach Roselee Jencke said with co-captains Geitz and McMeninman gone, she will be looking for more leading scorer.ddddddddddddI know where my heart is. The culture here is a credit to Rose (Jencke) and Jenleadership from Aiken, now the franchises longest-serving player.Shes the superstar bookend. Were thrilled to have her back and shes a champion of the game, Jencke said.Jencke insisted the Firebirds would lose nothing by swapping Ravaillion for Cassidy, tipped to be a future Diamonds starter.Mahalia is more than ready for the next step and in fact, she was ready this year, she said.She took it to Rav every training session, outshone her at times and really put that pressure on her to perform.Queensland Firebirds: Laura Clemesha, Kate Shimmin, Kimberley Jenner, Gabi Simpson, Mahalia Cassidy, Caitlyn Nevins, Jemma Mi Mi, Gretel Tippett, Romelda Aiken, Abi Latu-Meafou. ' ' '