Young ’Noles hold on, knock off Tar Heels
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State’s youthful men’s basketball team surely has a knack for faltering at inopportune times.
But the Seminoles core has the poise and is continuing to foster experience needed to not wilt away when games are on the line.
No. 24 FSU (12-2, 1-1 ACC) overcame four missed free throws and untimely turnovers in the final minutes to escape with a victory over the defending national champions, posting an 81-80 win over No. 12 North Carolina (12-3, 1-1) in front of an announced crowd of 8,931 people at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Wednesday night.
Senior guard Braian Angola scored 20 points, senior forward Terance Mann added 17 points with nine rebounds, and sophomore guard C.J. Walker scored 18 points in a duel with UNC star Joel Berry II to help FSU snap its seven-game skid against UNC and extend its home winning streak to 28 games.
“Our guys grew up,” said FSU coach Leonard Hamilton, who was able to coach despite having surgery to remove kidney stones earlier in the day.
Berry — the former Lakeland High Prep great — led the Tar Heels with 21 of 28 points in the second half, including UNC’s final eight points to help his team overcome a ninepoint deficit in the final minutes.
Berry’s pull-up 3-point shot following a Walker turnover brought the Tar Heels within 1 point with 30 seconds remaining. But UNC could not capitalize on FSU senior Phil Cofer and Mann each missing two free throws in the final seconds.
Berry’s final shot, a driving floater at the rim with forward Cameron Johnson open in the right corner, ricocheted off the backboard, allowing the Seminoles to win their first game over the Tar Heels since the 2012 ACC championship.
“I was hot in the second half, but I still have to understand in that situation that I have to give the open guy the ball,” said a reflective Berry, the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player last season.
Added UNC coach Roy Williams of Berry: “He was awfully tough. He was our offense for a long time in the second half, almost the whole second half.”
FSU’s torrid shooting from 3-point range ran dry in the second half as the Seminoles made only 2 of 9 3-pointers after making 9 of 20 to mount a 51-40 lead at halftime. The Seminoles averaged 17 3-pointers in their last two games. UNC used a 14-2 run early in the second half, thanks in part to five FSU turnovers, to set up a thrilling finish.
Walker scored 10 of 18 points in the second half, Angola drew an offensive foul and made two free throws before the final minute and FSU was able to extend its home winning streak to 28 games, third longest in the nation behind Cincinnati (34) and SMU (33).
“I feel like we just like playing with each other so much that we’re able to call each other out on plays,” said Walker, who gained experience as a backup during FSU’s NCAA tournament run last season. “We can get on each other, and still not let it affect us. We executed.”
FSU will travel to face No. 15 Miami on Sunday, but Hamilton seems like he wants to enjoy the UNC victory a bit more than usual.
Hamilton has been dealing with his painful health issue for the last two days, but said “under no circumstance” was he going to miss the matchup.
“Kidney stones are not very enjoyable, you know. They can create some pain for you,” Hamilton said with a smile after the win. “But this makes the pain worth it.”