Florida State Grinds Out Double OT Win Over Syracuse

The Florida State Seminoles toughed it out on Saturday afternoon with a 101-90 win over the Syracuse Orange at the Donald L. Tucker Center. It took two overtimes to finish, but FSU emerged as the better team at the end of the day.

It took a while for the fireworks to start, as both teams stifled each other’s offense over the first 10 minutes. Syracuse (12-6, 1-4 ACC) runs a 2-3 zone which typically requires strong outside shooting to beat. Florida State couldn’t provide that, but its own defense did a great job of harassing every shot the Syracuse guards took. Over the last part of the first half, the Seminoles (13-4, 2-3 ACC) began to knock down some jumped and bully out some rebounds.

They took a 31-21 lead into half.

The second half witnessed another awful start from FSU. Less than 10 minutes in, it gave up the lead and looked dead in the water from an offensive standpoint. With the help of some 3-point shooting and key defensive stops, the Seminoles were able to mount a comeback and take a lead with less than five minutes to go. After some tossing and turning, the game was unable to be decided in regulation, thanks to a tying 3-pointer from Syracuse’s Tyus Battle, who scored a career-high 37 points.

Neither team took a commanding lead in the ensuing five minutes. In fact, it was so even that a second overtime occurred as Trent Forrest hit the tying runner for FSU. Florida State showed impressive mental toughness by wearing down the Syracuse offense and getting physical with its own drives. It eventually closed it out and captured a crucial double overtime win.

Observations

• This game wasn’t for those wanting to see scoring duels. Over four minutes went by and Syracuse held a slim 3-2 lead. Florida State invested more in preventing ball movement, while Syracuse did more to stop shots close to the basket.
• The Seminoles missed Terance Mann’s leadership at the beginning of the game. They seemed disorganized on offense and did not appear to have a method for attacking Syracuse’s vaunted zone defense.
• Christ Koumadje could really benefit from improvement finishing. Head coach Leonard Hamilton put him in to try and disrupt the middle of the zone, and it did force Syracuse to collapse a bit more. But there were prime opportunities down low that he missed.
• Florida State flipped the script when P.J. Savoy went in the game. He knocked down a jumper and a 3-three pointer that gave the Seminoles a small lead late in the first half. Savoy has struggled with his role on the team up until recently, so seeing a good performance from him was encouraging.
• Phil Cofer was consistently the most aggressive player on offense. It might not have been the most efficient, but it did spur on the Seminoles and help them take a lead.
• Florida State had good looks on the outside, it just wasn’t turning them into points. If the Seminoles were even shooting an average clip, they could’ve had a comfortable lead going into half.
• At half, the Seminoles held a 25-17 advantage in rebounding and 10-4 advantage in assists. They had a sub-par 25 percent 3-point percentage however.
• The offense reverted to its early first half form. Besides a couple of nice plays by C.J. Walker, no one else exerted themselves and created opportunities. The Orange were able to draw within one possession after a few minutes.
• Syracuse began to run some full court press in the second half. Not surprisingly, FSU had no answer for it and clearly let the pressure get to its head. The Seminoles started making errant passes and taking bad shots.
• Meanwhile, the Syracuse offense couldn’t miss. The Orange kept feeding the ball down low and provoking fouls from FSU. When it wasn’t there, the top of the key always had someone open for a short jumper. They took a 45-38 lead with over 11 minutes remaining.
• Florida State has a clear mental block when it comes to finishing games. As Syracuse started getting more offensive rebounds, a few players committed frustration fouls and had to be calmed down. It’s not like they were getting blown out — the game was within seven points.
• Braian Angola and P.J. Savoy rose to the occasion. With just over five minutes left, the two combined for nine points to put the Seminoles up two. Savoy’s second 3-pointer had the Tuck shaking with crowd noise.
• It seemed like an odd twist that it was the FSU offense which brought it back in the game. Quite frankly, there didn’t seem to be much of a change in strategy. FSU was simply hitting the open shots that it had been missing earlier.
• C.J. Walker had a meltdown in the final minute. In addition to the turnover, he missed a free throw that would’ve put the Seminoles up four points with under 20 seconds to go. Syracuse guard Tyus Battle then ran down the court and hit a 3-pointer to send it to overtime.
• Free throw issues started to show up once more. In eight attempts, the Seminoles converted just four times, letting Syracuse maintain either a lead or just the tie.
• The second overtime started off with Trent Forrest taking matters into his own hands. He drew two fouls early on and gave FSU a slim 2-point lead.
• Three Syracuse players fouled out as the game went on. It finally took its toll in the second overtime when it became clear that the Orange were jacking up shots on offense. They were simply too tired.
• A mix of aggressive drives to the basket, smothering man-to-man defense, and better depth brought the Seminoles a much needed victory on their home court.

Notable Numbers

Braian Angola (FSU): 24 points (6-for-16), 8 assists, 5 rebounds

Christ Koumadje (FSU): 23 points (9-for-14), 8 rebounds, 4 blocks

Tyus Battle (SU): 37 points (11-for-27)