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Published Feb 1, 2025
FSU self-destructs in final seconds, stunned on late BC 3-pointer
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Bob Ferrante  •  TheOsceola
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Florida State has struggled to win on the road. And the Seminoles haven’t been able to overcome rotation changes with various players out due to injury.

The Seminoles looked to have all of the solutions in the first 30 minutes of the game. But they fell apart in the final 10 minutes, letting a 15-point second-half lead evaporate.

FSU made three turnovers in the final 30 seconds, with Chas Kelley III drilling a deep 3-pointer with four seconds left to complete a stunning comeback as BC took a 77-76 win on Saturday afternoon. BC trailed by seven points with 44 seconds left to come back.

“There are so many things that went wrong for us,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. “We self-destructed.”

The Seminoles (13-9, 4-7 ACC) have lost four straight games and the dreary road struggles continue. FSU has lost ACC games at NC State, Clemson, Cal, Stanford and now KenPom’s No. 206 team, Boston College.

Following a lethargic West Coast trip, FSU scored just 15 points in the first half against Virginia Tech in a home loss. But this one may have been as frustrating — if not more — considering FSU held a 15-point lead and was in control.

Donald Hand Jr. had a career-best 31 points, making 6 of 11 shots from beyond the arc. BC connected on 11 of 27 3-pointers.

The Eagles hadn’t won in a calendar month, since defeated lowly Miami on New Year’s Day.

FSU led by 15 points with 12:40 left but went just under 10 minutes without a made field-goal attempt. AJ Swinton snapped that drought with a layup with 3:36 to go, putting FSU ahead 68-59.

Jamir Watkins scored 19 points, shooting 8 of 10 from the line, and had seven rebounds. Malique Ewin scored 18 points, making 8 of 8 free-throw attempts, and had nine rebounds.

The Seminoles shot 30 of 39 from the free-throw line as they were fouled down stretch by BC. But FSU struggled to shoot from the floor in the second half, making just 8 of 22 shots.

FSU had a shorter bench, playing without Taylor Bol Bowen. FSU also lost Jerry Deng to injury just three minutes into the game.

Swinton returned from injury to contribute a season-best 10 points, while Daquan Davis had nine points. Chandler Jackson had seven points and four rebounds.

“I’m trying my very best to stay strong,” Hamilton said. “This is disappointing.”

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FSU plays host to Notre Dame on Tuesday.

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