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FSU Womens Basketball Faces Sweet 16 Challenge From Oregon State

By Jason Parker

Nov 14, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Shakayla Thomas (20) moves the ball past Connecticut Huskies guard Kia Nurse (11) during the game at the Tucker Center (Tallahassee). Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Shakayla Thomas (20) moves the ball past Connecticut Huskies guard Kia Nurse (11) during the game at the Tucker Center (Tallahassee). Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports /
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FSU will have one team in the Sweet 16 this weekend as the Lady ‘Noles return to this round of the tournament against a Pac 12 foe.

For the fifth time in program history, the FSU women’s basketball program has again reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament – all of which have come under head coach Sue Semrau over the course of the last 11 seasons.

After hosting their first two tournament games this season inside the Tucker Center, the Lady ‘Noles head all the way across the country to Stockton, California – starting off Saturday night with a showdown against a feisty group from just one state north.

Let’s take a look at how Florida State got to this point – and what lies ahead for them at this point in the tournament.

Last Game Recap

It was almost an exact replica of their first round game, as FSU started off slow and trailed the No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers after the first quarter of play. A late surge in the second quarter – again led by Shakayla Thomas and her team high 20 points – gave the Lady ‘Noles a lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the game.

Shooting just over 46 percent from the field and 50 percent from three point land, No. 3 seed Florida State outscored Mizzou 45-28 in the second half and coasted to a 22 point victory – giving FSU their three straight appearance in the Sweet 16.

Florida State Seminoles Basketball
Florida State Seminoles Basketball /

Florida State Seminoles Basketball

Next Opponent

The Pac-12 regular season champion Oregon State Beavers would admit they are lucky to be at this point in the tournament. After securing the No. 2 seed in the region, OSU survived an upset bid from No. 15 seed Long Beach State, winning by just one point, before taking out No. 7 seed Creighton by 12 points in the second round.

The Beavers are led by senior Sydney Wiese, who led the team in scoring with just over 15 points a game this season. OSU has won nine of their last 10 games, with the lone loss coming against Stanford in the conference title game.

The two teams have met just once before, with Oregon State getting the win over FSU in the 1982 Women’s NIT.

If FSU Wins…

Fans of the Lady ‘Noles are going to be rooting hard for Cinderella in the opening game from Stockton. The top seeded South Carolina Gamecocks will be taking on No. 12 seed Quinnipiac, who sits as the lowest seeded team left in the field after upsetting No. 4 Miami on Monday.

FSU also wants to see the upset take place since their history with South Carolina isn’t that great – trailing the all time series 17-2 including an Elite Eight loss during the 2015 tournament. The Lady ‘Noles have never played the Bobcats, who are making just their third ever appearance in the field.