FSU basketball: Noles defeat Tarheels advancing to ACC Tourney Finals

No. 15 FSU basketball (16-5, 11-4 ACC) blew another double-digit halftime lead but defeated the Tarheels 69-66 to advance to the ACC Tourney Finals.

It was another game of deja vu with FSU basketball jumping out to a comfortable lead and taking an 11-point lead into halftime.

FSU had an 11 point lead late in the first half before UNC nailed a long three-pointer to cut the lead to eight with less than 30 seconds left in the half.

FSU’s Malik Osbourne launched a step-back three-pointer that swished just after the buzzer sounded to make the lead 11 points.

That three-pointer was the difference in the game.

The game was what we expected from the preview. The Tarheels took advantage on the offense boards and were +11, but part of that was the Tarheels only shooting 33.8 percent from the floor.

The Noles were only -3 in total rebounds for the game. Another factor was free-throw shooting, and ironically this was why UNC lost this game.

Unlike the last game where they couldn’t miss from the free-throw line, the Tarheels were 14 of 25, with the Noles making 16 of 22.

FSU looked like they hadn’t played in a week at times, with 18 turnovers and looking out of sync on the offensive end.

They played with good energy and showed a lot of resilience when North Carolina took the lead in the second half by as much as five points.

Balsa Koprivica had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Scottie Barnes had 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. It was a game that saw several players chip in with 10 players playing five minutes or more.

The Noles will look to avenge a previous loss when they take on Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament Finals Saturday, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. FSU defeated Georgia Tech 74-61 in their first matchup. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the finals after Virginia had to cancel their game due to COVID-19 issues.