Florida State was playing some of its best basketball, leading by 14 points with 17:25 to go.

The lead evaporated in a hurry, with the Tar Heels tying the game with 8:04 left. And the Seminoles also had nothing left as UNC scored an astounding 22 straight points.

Jamir Watkins scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds but No. 17 UNC overwhelmed FSU late, with the Tar Heels taking a 78-70 win on Saturday afternoon in the ACC opener for both teams.

The Seminoles (4-3) had an up-and-down first half but shot 7 of 14 from beyond the arc as they grabbed a 35-29 lead. FSU pushed the lead out to 14 coming out of the break but it didn’t last.

RJ Davis scored 27 points while Anthony Bacot had 13 points and 13 rebounds to lead UNC (6-1).

FSU lost Cam’Ron Fletcher to an injury in the second half. Fletcher struggled to walk off the court and couldn’t put weight on his surgically repaired right knee (he injured the knee last December at Virginia).

Fletcher’s injury puts more pressure on Jaylan Gainey and De’Ante Green to fill in, especially with Cameron Corhen out with a toe injury. Gainey had four points and one rebound in 13 minutes, considerably more playing time than he had on Wednesday. Green had 12 points (all in the second half) on 5 of 9 shooting and three rebounds.

The Tar Heels outrebounded FSU 39-30. Among the big disparities: FSU was 4 of 8 from the line, while UNC shot 25 of 31.

FSU shot 27 of 67 (40.3 percent) from the floor and finished 12 of 28 (42.9 percent) from 3-point range.

The Seminoles also let a 17-point lead slip away in a loss to Georgia on Wednesday.

FSU has an extended break for exam week. The Seminoles will play USF next Saturday at Sunrise, Fla., in the Orange Bowl Classic.