The second game against California was a disaster from the beginning. California has not only emerged as one of the top teams in the ACC but are ranked in the AP Top 25. They play with tremendous energy as they move the ball on the offensive end while being physical and applying pressure on the defensive end. It’s safe to say the Seminoles were not ready to go head-to-head against one of the ACC’s best. While they lost the game 82-70, Florida State trailed by as many as 32 points in the matchup.
The defense of California was spectacular. They held Florida State to 38 percent shooting and held a 25-point lead at halftime. The biggest story was holding Ta’Niya Latson to 13 points as she didn’t make her first field goal until the fourth quarter. California had a terrific game plan to slow down Latson. The goal was to send a help defender immediately as she drove by her primary defender, while eventually sending a double-team to surround her. While the nation’s leading scorer was limited offensively, it was hard for Florida State to crawl back into the game.
This is a team that has expectations to go deep in the NCAA Tournament. If Florida State wants to prove they’re contenders, they must take care of business on the road. They have to approach every road game motivated, determined, and willing to play together. Unfortunately, other issues have played a role in Florida State’s struggles over the past few games, which are the inconsistency of the supporting cast.