One year after being upset by Xavier by 25 points in Orlando, ninth-seeded Florida State pulled off a stunner on Sunday night, rallying from 12 points down to beat the top-seeded Musketeers in Nashville, 75-70.
P.J. Savoy’s 3-pointer on a fast break with 1:12 to play gave the Seminoles (22-11) their first lead since late in the first half and put them ahead for good. After Trevon Bluiett turned it over for Xavier, Savoy knocked down a pair of clutch free throws.
Kerem Kanter’s potential tying 3-pointer in the final seconds was air-balled. C.J. Walker sealed the deal with a pair of free throws on the other end.
FSU scored the game’s final seven points and finished the game on an 18-4 run. Braian Angola paced the Seminoles with 16 points and made three of their eight 3-pointers. Trent Forrest added 13 points and four steals. Savoy scored 11. Phil Cofer and Terance Mann each finished with 10 points. Mann wasn’t expected to play because of a groin injury, but went 4-for-5 from the field.
Usually a bad foul shooting team, FSU was 19-for-22 from the charity stripe. FSU shot 43 percent to Xavier’s 47 from the field, but forced 18 turnovers in the win.
J.P. Macura led the Musketeers (29-6) with a game-high 17 points before fouling out. Kanter added 15 points while Paul Scruggs chipped in with 11.
The game seemed to turn late in the first half. FSU led 32-29 and appeared to be out on the break in the final minute. Forrest was called for a charge at midcourt and Macura answered with a triple on the ensuing possession. On a 3-point miss from Angola, FSU center Christ Koumadje was called for a loose ball foul with a second remaining and Bluiett connect on a pair of free throws to give Xavier a 34-32 lead at the break.
Xavier led by double-digits five times in the second half, but managed just one field goal over the final 3:58. The last lead came on a pair of free throws from Scruggs with 1:49 remaining. Usually a good foul shooting team, Xavier shot just 63 percent or 19 of 30.
With the win, the Seminoles will advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. The victory is the first ever for Florida State over a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. FSU will face fourth-seeded Gonzaga, who defeated No. 5 seed Ohio State on Saturday night, in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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