FSU 90 NCS 83 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Good
A fast paced entertaining contest, the victory improves FSU's record to 15-13 overall, 9-8 ACC. Coming into the game, the Seminoles had beaten NC State 5 straight games in Tallahassee and 8 of the last 10. Make that 6 straight games and 9 of the last 11. FSU led for the entire game with the exception where NC State were in front for a grand total of 31 seconds. The win also keeps FSU within one game of being tied for 4th in the conference standings.
Coming into the game, the Wolfpack were 4-8 when trailing at halftime. FSU led 41-33 at the break. As mentioned already, the 'Noles won 90-83. Make that 4-9 for the Pack.
Tempo. NCS likes to play up tempo. They lead the ACC in fast break points at 15 ppg. FSU likes to play up tempo even more so. The Seminoles won the battle of tempo outscoring NC State 18-9 in fast break points.
Tempo Part II. The pace by the 'Noles took DJ Burns completely out of the game. The 275 pound forward was held scoreless well below his 12.2 ppg taking just two shots, no rebounds, and two fouls. His only claim to fame tonight was two assists. But he barely played in the game.
Defense did a decent on on NC State's leading scorer, DJ Horne who averages 17.6 ppg, scored 15 but really had to work to get that shooting just 6 of 17.
Turnovers. NC State is 9th in the country at taking care of the ball at 9.4 turnovers per game. Tonight the Pack gave the ball away 14 times leading to 12 points for FSU. Again credit tempo as FSU sped the Wolfpack up.
FSU is now one victory away from reaching a winning record this season. The importance of that is it would avoid Leonard Hamilton having back to back losing seasons for the first time in his career.
Offense. All very positive numbers with the 'Noles shooting 60% from the floor, 36% from the arc, and 79% from the FT line. All eleven who saw time on the floor scored.
Leading the team once again was Jamir Watkins with 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting. Primo Spears added 14 as well as 6 assists (three in the final minutes) and Cameron Corhen with 11.
Plays of the game: Spears and Watkins combining to force Horner into a very tough shot right before halftime that missed its mark. Initiated by Baba Miller's save as he was sailing OB, the quick pass up the floor to Jalen Warley who had the alley oop lob to Corhen, 49-37. Chandler Jackson's fall away from the right baseline plus the foul, 57-49. The emphatic blocked shot by Taylor Bol Bowen of Horne's attempt from just left of the basket. Immediately after that, Bol Bowen grabbed the defensive rebound starting a fast break lay up by Darin Green, 64-56. Ben Middlebrook's lovely pass to the FSU fans seated courtside. Warley with the long pass to Spears on a post route who dishes to Corhen for the slam dunk. 62-54. Watkins with the rebound taking it coast to coast banking in the floater, 82-70. Spears breaks the NCS press passing to Warley and the slam, 84-75. Spears again with an assist to Watkins and the one handed slam dunk, 86-76. Miller handling the pressure and sinking two FTs with 1:10 left, 88-79. Rather than risk a turnover from an errant pass, Warley with the heads up play calling a timeout with :52 left as he was surrounded by Pack defenders after receiving the inbound pass. Horne losing the ball with 37 seconds remaining thus ending any chance of a comeback by NC State.
The Bad
Darin Green injured early in the second period. I do not believe I saw him out there the rest of the game. If he was, he did not play much and he certainly was not on the floor in the last minutes.
The more than a handful of times FSU would make a play on offense only to not get back on defense allowing the Pack to answer.
The schedule makers did not do FSU any favors with putting the start time at 9 PM. With a game that was pushing to nearly 11:30, a big hand goes to those fans that did make it to the game and stayed for the almost 2.5 hours.
OK, he makes some of his shot attempts, but I sure would like to see Spears make better use of the high screen by taking his path closer to the screener to actually rub off the defender. By not forcing the defender to decide to go over or under the screen, Primo is too often taking a contested shot.
Memo to Primo: There is playing up tempo and there is jacking up a shot way too early in the possession as was the case with the score 66-64 and taking a shot from the right wing just seconds into the possession.
The refs missing yet another goal tending call in favor of FSU. That has happened in a couple of games recently.
The Ugly
Surely (not to be confused with "and don't call me Shirley") Miller has been in the situation where a timeout was called trying to inbound the ball after a made basket and then inbounding the ball following the timeout. Surely he has to know you cannot run the baseline after the timeout. Surely the coaches mentioned that in the huddle during the timeout. And even if they didn't, a second year player in college has to have been in that situation or at least seen it before. Thankfully it did not cost FSU.
Including the above play, the mental miscues late in the game such as the fouling of Pack players that stopped the clock as was the case with Watkins fouling not once but twice. The second foul left plenty of time (1:59) for NCS to close the gap even further. Thankfully only 1 of 2 was made and FSU still led 84-76. Or the ill-advised pass by Miller to the FT line that was intercepted. Or Warley with a critical 10 second violation.
Up Next
FSU hits the road to head to Georgia Tech for a Saturday 12 PM tip. The Yellow Jackets (12-16, 5-12) have this week off but are 2-1 in their last three games having beaten Syracuse and Miami and getting blown out by Clemson. Early in January, FSU jumped out to a big first half lead eventually winning over GT, 82-71. Saturday's game will be broadcast on The Deuce.
floridastate.rivals.com
theathletic.com
