Florida State racks up another upset at Gonzaga’s expense

Terance Mann grabbed the basketball with both hands and screamed, relishing his turn to be the high-scoring hero while Florida State steadily pulled away from Gonzaga.

If he doesn’t get the opportunity again, the junior guard will be just fine with it. These surprising Seminoles are thriving on balance, discipline and tremendous teamwork during an upset run that has stretched all the way to the brink of the Final Four.

Mann scored 18 points and the ninth-seeded Seminoles advanced to the Elite Eight for just the third time in school history with a 7560 victory over the fourth-seeded Zags on Thursday night in the West Region semifinal.

Mann was the only double-digit scorer for the Seminoles (23-11) as they coolly knocked off a third straight higher-seeded opponent in the NCAA Tournament — one with a 16-game winning streak, no less.

“I’m sure there was a lot of nines and eights and sevens and fives on that box score?” Mann asked, and he was right: Five Seminoles contributed at least seven points apiece.

“It’s just about whoever’s on the court is going to

give you their whole effort,” Mann said. “It’s amazing to be on a team like this and know that if you’re not doing it, somebody else will pick you up.”

Florida State is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993 with a chance at its first Final Four berth since 1972 — coincidentally, just down Figueroa Street at the recently demolished Los Angeles Sports Arena. It’s an incredible run out West for a team that went 9-9 in ACC play and lost its conference tournament opener.

Coach Leonard Hamilton’s best postseason run in his 16 years at Florida

State is extended to Saturday, when the Seminoles will face third-seeded Michigan for a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio. The Wolverines advanced with a 99-72 rout of Texas A&M.

“We knew we were capable of this,” said guard P.J. Savoy, who had six points. “As long as we stuck with our program, we knew we had the kind of athletes that not too many other teams have seen before.”

Maintaining a lead down the stretch at Staples Center, Florida State halted Gonzaga’s push for a second straight Final Four berth by last year’s tournament finalist.

Florida State followed up its stunning comeback against top-seeded Xavier last weekend with a steady, dominant second half against Gonzaga. The Seminoles jumped to a 13-point lead early in the second half and never let their margin dip below four, with Mann providing the biggest buckets along the way.

Rui Hachimura scored 16 points and Zach Norvell Jr. added 14 for the Zags (32-5), who hadn’t lost since Jan. 18. Already playing without injured forward Killian Tillie, the Zags struggled when forwards Johnathan Williams and Hachimura got into early foul trouble.