Florida State was able to win a thriller on Wednesday against North Carolina at the Donald L. Tucker Center, 81-80.
For a while however, it looked like it would be more of the same for Leonard Hamilton’s team at home against the Tar Heels. Entering Wednesday’s contest, the Seminoles were just 2-7 at home against North Carolina under Hamilton, but most of the losses were downright heartbreakers.
FSU was in a similar position to Wednesday during North Carolina’s trip to Tallahassee in January 2006. FSU led twice in the final minute, but a 3-pointer from Wes Miller and two free throws from Reyshawn Terry was enough to propel UNC to an 81-80 victory.
On Super Bowl Sunday in 2008, FSU used an unlikely 3-pointer from forward Ryan Reid in the final seconds to force overtime. In the extra period however, the Seminoles were outscored 17-6 in an 84-73 UNC victory.
In January 2009, it looked as though the Seminoles were going to rally from an 11-point second half deficit to force overtime for a second straight season as the game was tied 77-77 with three seconds left. Tasked with going the length of the floor, North Carolina guard Ty Lawson hit a running 3-pointer as time expired to lift the Tar Heels to an 80-77 win.
In March 2011, Derwin Kitchen made a pair of clutch free throws to give FSU a 70-69 lead with 18 seconds remaining. On the other end however, the Seminoles were unable to get a stop as North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes drilled a 3-pointer with three seconds left to give UNC a 72-70 win at the Tucker Center.
In January 2013, FSU led 72-71 with just over three minutes to play, but never scored again in a 77-72 loss. In February 2014, FSU was within one with less than three minutes to play before eventually falling, 81-75. Entering Wednesday, five of FSU’s nine home losses to North Carolina under Hamilton had come by six points or less and three by three points or less. Another went into overtime.
It looked as though it might be the case again on Wednesday. The Seminoles led by as many as 13 in the first half and by as many as 12 in the second, but saw themselves on the short end of a 60-59 score at the under 12-minute official timeout.
With the game tied at 67 late with more than eight minutes to play, FSU used a 9-0 run to go up 76-67 and appeared in control with a 4-point lead and the ball with less than 40 seconds to play. Unfortunately for Florida State, a turnover by C.J. Walker led to a 3-pointer by North Carolina’s Joel Berry on the other end.
After Phil Cofer missed a pair of free throws, Berry had a chance to win the game, but missed and the Seminoles were able to get the stop. Two more missed free throws from Terance Mann with 1.7 seconds to play proved inconsequential as FSU collected its first ACC victory of the season.
The win snapped a 7-game losing streak to the Tar Heels. Rather than suffering yet another gut-wrenching home loss to the school from Chapel Hill, FSU now has three pretty memorable wins in such games under Hamilton.
The first came in January 2004 as FSU overcame a 24-point deficit to beat North Carolina in overtime, 90-81. In January 2012, Florida State delivered a 33-point beatdown in a 90-57 victory — the largest margin of defeat for Carolina under head coach Roy Williams.
Ranked 24th in the country and now sitting at 12-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, optimism remains high that FSU is well on its way back to the NCAA Tournament. Under Hamilton, FSU had previously defeated North Carolina five times and in four separate seasons. In three of those seasons, it reached the NCAA Tournament.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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