FSU basketball: Noles come from behind to defeat Miami Hurricanes
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU basketball (9-5, 3-2 ACC) hands the Miami Hurricanes (13-4, 5-1 ACC) their first loss in conference play with a come from behind 65-64 victory Tuesday night.
It was a game where FSU couldn’t seem to get out of their own way most of the game with a ton of silly turnovers and bad shot selections.
FSU overcame 15 turnovers and 42.6 percent shooting from the floor, and Miami shooting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.
However, FSU basketball dominated the boards with a 37-25 advantage overall and a 14-6 edge on the offensive boards. The Noles also made 13 of 16 free throws, none bigger than RayQuan Evans two free throws to win the game with .8 seconds remaining. Miami had made a huge three-pointer to take a one-point lead with seven seconds remaining.
Evans drove to the basket and got fouled, sending him to the line. He calmly made both free throws and Miami’s wild shot as the buzzer sounded fell short. It’s the eighth consecutive win for the Noles over Miami and Miami’s first loss in conference play.
It’s the second straight win over a team with no conference losses for the Noles. Freshman Matthew Cleveland continues to be a sparkplug for the Noles, leading with 15 points. Anthony Polite chipped in with 12, and RayQuan Evans had 11 points.
Malik Osborne chipped in with seven points and eight rebounds, including a huge three-pointer to give the Noles a short lead with 27 seconds remaining.
It was a huge game for the Noles that should continue to provide confidence as they head into a rematch against Syracuse Saturday at 3 p.m. If they can avoid the silly turnovers and take good shots, they should have a chance to win that one. The game will air on ESPN.