It was a blowout and then a nail-biter. But in the end, it was just Florida State's ninth straight win against the rival Miami Hurricanes.
The FSU men's basketball team raced out to a 24-point lead at halftime Saturday afternoon in Coral Gables and then had to hold on down the stretch for a 61-60 victory. UM actually had a shot to win it just before time expired, but guard Isaiah Wong's contested jumper was off the mark.
Despite the near-collapse, it was the Seminoles' second win against the Hurricanes in less than two weeks, their ninth straight in the series, and their sixth consecutive victory overall.
FSU improves to 13-5 and 6-2 in the ACC; the Seminoles now are in first place in the ACC standings. Miami falls to 14-5 and 6-2.
The Hurricanes' only two conference losses have come to the Seminoles, and both by one point.
*** Don't miss our exclusive FSU sports coverage. 30-day Free Trial ***
"I think you saw the best half that we've played all year," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said of his team racing out to a 43-19 lead in the first 20 minutes. "And you probably saw what could be the worst half that we've played all year."
The Seminoles were outscored in the second half, 41-18.
After torching Miami's man-to-man defense in the first half, connecting on 18 of 32 shots from the floor and delivering 11 assists with just two turnovers, Florida State expected the Hurricanes to mix things up defensively. And Jim Larranaga's team did just that, first throwing out a zone defense and then moving to a full-court press with aggressive half-court traps.
The latter approach gave the Seminoles fits, forcing them into 15 turnovers in the second period. FSU only connected on 7 of 20 shots from the field after halftime and missed three huge free throws down the stretch.
"We didn't handle the trap very well," Hamilton said. "We became very tentative."
Part of the problem was the fact it was a defensive look UM hadn't shown much in previous games. Another part was that the Seminoles were simultaneously trying to keep the clock moving -- and not take hurried shots -- with a substantial lead.
"It's something different that we've never really had to deal with," sophomore guard Caleb Mills said. "It was the first time we got a big lead in conference play -- especially on the road. It's not often that happens.
"Learning from this will be big going forward. Just glad to come out with the W."
Hamilton said his players also were likely drained physically by playing four games in the past eight days. They knocked off Syracuse last Saturday, then No. 6 Duke on Tuesday and then UNF on Thursday.
"I think fatigue had a lot to do with us cutting a little slower and not meeting the pass as much as we were in the first half," he said.
FSU only scored eight points in the game's final 10 1/2 minutes, and Mills accounted for every one. He hit back-to-back layups to give the 'Noles a 61-52 lead with 2:40 remaining, but those were the last points FSU would score.
Miami ended the game on an 8-0 run.
Mills led the Seminoles with 16 points, while senior Anthony Polite had 15 -- 13 of which came in the first period. Wong led Miami with 22 points, including 18 in the second half.
Despite the ugly second half, the Seminoles can appreciate being in first place in the ACC with just over half of the conference games remaining.
"I do think that we're showing potential," Hamilton said.
FSU next plays Wednesday at Georgia Tech.
Stay connected with Warchant.com for more on this story.
----------------------------------------------------
Discuss this with fans on Warchant's Seminole Hoops message board
