With FSU's NCAA dreams rapidly fading, the Noles absolutely had to find a way to win at Wake Forest. Yes, with five games remaining, it's technically possible to do enough down the stretch to find their way into the dance. But with the way they've been struggling, those odds would be astronomical. In short: beat Wake Forest.
We all knew this going into the game, so you can imagine the consternation when nothing went well in the first 12 minutes and FSU found themselves down 24-8. The season seemed to be officially going off the tracks. The team very easily could have quit.
Instead, Okaro White ran off a mini four-point run, and then Boris Bojanovsky out-toughed Devin Thomas for a rebound, drawing the foul. Thomas showed up the refs and was called for a technical. Down 26-12 at that point, FSU used the technical to fuel an 11-3 run to end the half. A six point deficit seemed like a blessing after the terrible start.
With Wake players trying to stay out of foul trouble to start the half, FSU began with three straight layups to tie the game. The Demon Deacons got their act together and pushed the lead back to five.
And that's when the Aaron Thomas show began.
Thomas may have struggled shooting tonight, but he also may have had his best game as a Seminole. Down five with just over 13 minutes left, Thomas accounted for 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist down the stretch. Ian Miller settled in as his wing man, and scored 10 on his own. FSU quickly re-took the lead and Wake was only able to tie it up once the rest of the way. The Noles would have put it away earlier, but they missed some key free throws. Still, they built the lead to 8 with 1:46 to play, and won the game 67-60.
Aaron Thomas finished with his first career double-double. He scored 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and added 4 steals. Ian Miller led all scorers with 25. Boris Bojanovsky had 5 points, 8 boards, and 6 blocks.
Now FSU has another quick turnaround before hosting North Carolina on ESPN's Big Monday. The Heels struggled early in the season, but are now one of the hottest teams in the nation.