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Inside the box score: FSU 76, Clemson 65

Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

1. With the win, Florida State now moves to 14-7 (4-5) and a half game behind Duke and Virginia Tech in the standings. It is the third straight season that the Noles have began ACC play with four wins in their first nine. The difference over those two years is that the ACC was not quite as deep or strong, and according to kenpom.com this is the strongest the ACC has been since 2009-10 (averaging across all teams). FSU's record currently has them on the right side of the bubble in just about everyone's bracket.

2. Florida State blocked nine shots, which was 23% of Clemson's 2-pt attempts. Boris Bojanovsky and Chris Koumadje blocked three shots each. Bojo has now blocked 170 shots in his career, and needs 26 more to tie Corey Louis for 2nd in FSU history. Chris Koumadje has blocked 13.5% of opponent 2s while on the floor, which would be the third highest rate in the nation if he played enough minutes to qualify.

3. Devon Bookert won't get the press from this game as he only scored nine points, but it wouldn't be difficult to argue that he was the key to Florida State's win. Both coaches made a point to single him out in their post game comments. Leonard Hamilton said, "I thought that Devon Bookert gave us a tremendous lift, his defensive presence on the floor gave us an opportunity for some other players to get a lot of deflections which led to 13 steals." Coach Brownell said, ""Oh I really like him. He is steady, makes shots, smart, takes care of the ball and he’s just one of those guys that you win with. He is just a winner. He makes big plays and big shots, he plays with poise and he’s a good player. I really like him." Bookert has picked up a steal on 3.9% of opponent possessions, which is 41st nationally, and his 4.2% in ACC play is 2nd. He also picked up his 300th career assist, and is 16th in FSU history.

4. The Noles played 10 players, and they all played at least 10 minutes. Clemson only had six guys who played more than nine minutes. It's no coincidence that FSU's big run to put the game away came in the latter portion of the 2nd half. Due to injuries, this is one thing that FSU has missed this season. But Coach Hamilton's best teams have always had lots of bodies so that he could wear opponents down and capitalize in the second half. If Koumadje and Benji Bell can be steady contributors, that changes the complexion of the team.

5. FSU won 76-65 in a 74 possession game. The 0.88 points per possession was the worst offensive output by Clemson in conference play, and just the 2nd time they've been held below a point per possession. The 74 possessions was the first time Clemson has played more than 70 this season. For Florida State, 74 is middle of the road. The Noles are still the most uptempo team in the ACC, and are the 2nd most uptempo high major team in the nation.