Forrest, Seminoles cruise to first-round NCAA* win over Belmont

It was the best regular season in school history, and one that was punctuated with an ACC Championship and a No. 4 national ranking heading into the postseason.

Which is what made what happened next so frustrating and heartbreaking.

With the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament, Florida State's players, coaches and fans will never get to know just how far the Seminoles would've gotten.

Would more nets have been cut down? Would another trophy have been hoisted? Would Trent Forrest and the boys have had any more heroics left in them?

Well, it's time we find out ... with the first installment of Warchant's 2020 What Could Have Been NCAA Tournament?

Don't miss our great FSU sports coverage. Get your 30-day FREE trial

It wasn't the prettiest of games for the Florida State men's basketball team on Thursday afternoon. But in the end, all that matters at this time of year is surviving and advancing.

The No. 2 seed Seminoles, fresh off the second ACC Tournament Championship in school history, used their overwhelming depth and talent to pull away from a sharp-shooting Belmont squad en route to a 77-61 victory in Tampa.

With the win, Florida State (30-5) advances to the second round of the South Regional on Saturday against LSU, which knocked off Providence, 81-78, earlier in the day.

"By no means are we going to take any bows," FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton said after the win. "Nobody has ever climbed a ladder and cut down a net because of one tournament win. We've still got a lot of work to do.

"We have to remember that we have six new players who have never experienced anything like this before, so there can be a learning curve. We're just hoping we start firing on all cylinders here soon. And credit to Belmont. They shot the ball extremely well in the first half."

The 15th-seeded Bruins (26-8) came into the game shooting 35 percent from 3-point range. In a development that surprised absolutely no Florida State fans, they could hardly miss from downtown to start the game.

Belmont hit its first six 3-point attempts in the first half and was 9 of 14 overall from downtown in the first 20 minutes. The Bruins were only 2 of 16 from two-point range, though.

Adam Kunkel was 5 of 5 from 3-point range alone, including one where he fell into FSU associate head coach Stan Jones' lap as he was falling out of bounds. Kunkel threw a blind shot up wildly as he was stumbling, and nothing but net. Because ... of course.

Even still, Florida State kept coming.

With Trent Forrest on the bench for the final 17 minutes of the first half with two fouls, backup RayQuan Evans took over for the Seminoles. He scored 11 points and had four assists and four rebounds to help turn an early eight-point deficit into a four-point halftime lead at 35-31.

"I knew when Trent got his second foul he wouldn't see the court again until the second half," Evans said. "And with M.J. (Walker) having that unfortunate injury, I just knew I had to step up and help my team any way I could."

Walker was helped off the floor with eight minutes to go in the first half after he crashed into a Belmont tuba player on an alley-oop attempt that went awry. He had to successfully complete concussion protocol before being cleared to play.

The junior came back in the second half and scored 12 straight points for the Seminoles, who took control of the game in the final 20 minutes.

Forrest, who finished the game with two fouls, had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists in the second half, and Florida State finally was able to shake a pesky Belmont team that would end up hitting 17 3-pointers (on 44 attempts).

The Seminoles hit 11 3s of their own. Wyatt Wilkes and Devin Vassell drilled three apiece, while Malik Osborne and Walker each had two. And Travis Light, of the famed Green Viper squad, hit one at the buzzer for the final margin of 16 points.

FSU freshman Patrick Williams delivered the highlight of the game on a breakaway in the second half in which he dunked the ball so viciously that the shot clock crashed to the court -- narrowly missing Walker on the baseline.

All told, 15 different Seminoles played. Thirteen scored at least one point, and no Florida State player was on the floor for more than 26 minutes.

"They come at you in waves," Belmont coach Casey Alexander said. "We had been told what to expect. We had watched film. But you can't just simulate that length or that physicality. And the Patrick Williams kid? Are you kidding me? That dunk he had in the second half was the most impressive thing I've seen on a basketball court in 20 years. And he doesn't even start!

"That's an incredible team over there. I mean, we just hit 17 3-pointers in a game and got blown out. When has that ever happened? I told Leonard that after the game that I think he has a real chance to win the whole thing. And I'll be pulling for him."

The Seminoles will see if they can take the next step on Saturday against LSU.

-----------

* -- This tournament isn't actually happening. Play along with us here.

Discuss the game with fans on Warchant's Seminole Hoops message board.