With the 195th ranked offense taking on the 263rd ranked defense, one team was destined to improve. For this game it was FSU, winning 85-61 in a 78 possession game. FSU started slow, but was able to build a 31-19 lead despite horrible shooting, as the Seminole defense was too much for a bad Wake Forest offense. FSU took 14 3-pointers in the first half and made 3. Fourteen 3-pointers isn’t necessarily a problem, but the way we took them is. We were shooting early in the shot clock and without even trying to go inside. Those shots will be open late in the shot clock as well. In the 2nd half we pounded the paint, the defense collapsed, and when we took 3’s it was off the hop with our momentum moving towards the basket, which is exactly what you need when you aren’t blessed with great shooters.
Deividas Dulkys led all scorers with 16, on 4-8 3-pt shooting. Bernard James added 13 points, and Ian Miller, getting his first extended minutes since the Ohio State game, scored 11. Derwin Kitchen had another solid game with 10 pts, 6 boards and 4 assists. Okaro White, in his 1st career start, had 8 pts, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals.
Florida State now travels to Chapel Hill to take on the Tar Heels on Super Bowl Sunday.