ANOTHER TOP SEED X’D OUT

XAVIER BEATEN BY FSU RALLY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Florida State senior Phil Cofer knows the biggest key to making any comeback, especially in the NCAA Tournament. Don’t get rattled. Now Florida State is on its way to the NCAA Tournament’s round of 16 for the first time since 2011 after upsetting top-seeded Xavier with a furious rally.

PJ Savoy made a 3- pointer with 1:08 left to give Florida State its first lead of the second half, and the Seminoles rallied from a 12point deficit to beat the Musketeers 75-70 on Sunday night in the second round of the West Region.

“Everybody kept their composure, and that’s what you got to do in March Madness,” Cofer said. “And I think we did it.”

The Seminoles did just that when trailing by 12 with 10:42 left and outscored Xavier 31-14 down the stretch, including the final seven points of the game.

“We were much better than Xavier in the last two and a half minutes of the game,” Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. “Sometimes when the games are close, that’s all that’s important.”

They made Xavier the second No. 1 seed ousted in tournament’s first weekend, sending the Musketeers (29-6) out along with Virginia. It’s a painful ending for a team that returned four starters from a team that lost in the Elite Eight last year — to Gonzaga, the team Florida State (22-11) will play Thursday night in Los Angeles.

“Obviously, tough loss for our group,” Xavier coach Chris Mack said . “Pretty emotional ending, the finality of what I think is the greatest sporting event in our country.”

Senior guard J.P. Macura said he felt this was the best team he’s played on.

“For us to lose this early, it just, it feels terrible,” a quiet Macura said in the locker room.

Savoy also hit a pair of free throws with 21.6 seconds left putting Florida State up 73-70. Kerem Kanter shot an air ball from beyond the arc at the top of the key with 7 seconds to go for Xavier, and CJ Walker added a pair of free throws with 6.4 seconds remaining.

This was sweet payback for Florida State after then-No. 11 seed Xavier routed the Seminoles 91-66 a year ago in the very same round in the same region. Hamilton lost his top three scorers — two to the NBA Draft — from that team. —