The Florida State Seminoles managed a 63-61 win over the California Golden Bears Wednesday night in Tallahassee. This ACC matchup did not disappoint, as it came down to the final 30 seconds, being determined by a missed three pointer with two seconds to go from California guard Justin Pippen, the son of Scottie Pippen.
The tension was palpable as the entire stadium was on their feet as a missed clutch free throw from Florida State’s senior guard Lajae Jones left the door open for a game-winner. Thankfully for Noles fans, with little time to create, the game winning shot fell short and the arena erupted.
This has been a strong, competitive season from California, who recently managed a win over No. 16 North Carolina just two weeks ago. Florida State, however, has experienced serious ups and downs this year, finding themselves sitting dead last in the ACC and coming off of a heartbreaking loss to SMU by a margin of three points.
The Golden Bears fought hard to regain control of this game in the final minutes, shooting 20-of-58 from the field and 10-of-28 from the three point line. This is a hard loss for Cal as they fall to 3-5 in conference play.
Leading California on the night was Pippen, who, despite missing the game-winning shot, still played very well. He scored 19 points and eight rebounds. The Golden Bears will now look to bounce back against Miami on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Florida State looked dominant to start this game as they had a strong command in the first half. The defense was causing disruptions and forcing turnovers, and the offense, while it was not the most efficient, was playing strong enough to lead 36-23 at halftime.
In the second half, however, the Seminoles offense stalled, and points became a luxury, as they started to have serious issues shooting, specifically from the three-point line. The Seminoles ended the night shooting 22-of-5 and 6-of-26 from three, with only two threes being made in the entire second half.
Florida State was led by senior forward Chauncey Wiggins, who recorded 18 points and five, including a physical bucket to regain the lead for FSU in the final minute of the game.
The true hero of the game was the Seminoles defense, though. The defense played a physical, disruptive game that managed to continually give the offense opportunities to regain control of the game, causing 11 California turnovers, including five steals and three critical blocks which otherwise would have led to a Cal victory.
This game should serve as strong motivation for the Seminoles, who are looking to put together a strong conclusion to the first season under first year head coach Luke Loucks.
The Seminoles will continue ACC play this week as they take on the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.