FSU basketball: Poor start and referees doom Noles against Notre Dame

No. 11 FSU basketball (15-5, 11-4 ACC) got off to a terrible start, the referees inserted themselves in the second half to help prevent the comeback victory.

As typical, FSU basketball started sluggishly in a road game, and Notre Dame couldn’t miss from three-point land. The Fighting Irish led by as many as 20 points and took a 16 point lead into halftime.

The Noles began the second-half with more energy and cut the lead down to nine points in less than three minutes.

However, the referees became an obvious difference-maker as they made at least 10 questionable calls that favored Notre Dame in pivotal moments in the game.

It wasn’t all the referees, as FSU cost themselves with ridiculous turnovers, terrible shot selections, and allowing Notre Dame to capture several offensive rebounds.

FSU cut the lead down to four points with two minutes left and promptly wasted two possessions, and that was the ballgame.

As bad as were and as bad as the referees were, they still had opportunities to win the game. However, they couldn’t overcome all of the obstacles, which were mostly self-inflicted issues at the beginning of the game.

I was criticized for pointing out this team’s inconsistency after the UNC loss. FSU fans made excuses, stating they can’t win every game. That wasn’t my concern, it’s the team’s inability to play with consistent energy no matter who the opponent.

Now, the Noles will need a Virginia loss against Louisville later Saturday for an outright claim to the ACC Regular Season Title.

I think that was the concerning part, the Noles had a chance to remove all doubt against a team that was under .500 and lost by double-digits.

They’ll have a double-bye in the ACC Tournament, but this team could win the tournament or lose the first game they play.

Let’s sit back and hope Virginia loses to be gifted the outright championship.