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- With the win Florida State advanced to 19-4 (7-3). No ACC team has fewer than four losses on the season. In conference play FSU remains a game behind North Carolina and a half game behind Virginia. The top four seeds receive a double-bye in the ACC tourney. Notre Dame and Syracuse are both a game behind FSU, and ND plays at North Carolina, while the Orange host Virginia this Saturday. The Seminoles do not play until Sunday, when they host Clemson in a game televised on ESPNU.
- Jonathan Isaac made five shots. One was a 3-pointer, and two were dunks. He leads FSU with 23 dunks on the season, while the Seminoles easily lead the ACC in overall dunks. Isaac also had two assists on the night, which were both on dunks.
- For the 8th time in the past nine games Jarquez Smith played more minutes than any other bench player. His contributions in the 2nd half were especially key, and he and Michael Ojo did a great job of anchoring the back end of the defense. After the perimeter defense was sliced up in the first 25 minutes by Miami’s drag and drive offense, Smith and Ojo sagged deeper off of ball screens to help shut down drives. At one point early in the 2nd half, FSU got eight straight defensive stops and turned a 2-point deficit into a 47-36 lead.
- It’s a good thing that this game wasn’t close, and FSU only attempted 15 free throws. The ‘Noles are tied with Virginia Tech as the best teams in the ACC at getting to the line, but have now had two of their five lowest volume FT games of the year vs Georgia Tech and Miami. When the ‘Noles free throw rate (FTA/FGA) is 30% of lower, the team is 5-2. When it’s above 30% the team is 14-2. The problem has primarily stemmed from the defense not getting stops. It’s much easier to draw fouls when attacking downhill against a scrambling defense. When Miami’s offense was humming (the game’s first 27 possessions), FSU drew one foul. When FSU’s defense took over, the ‘Noles drew 10 fouls.
- FSU won 75-57 in a 57 possession game. It was the first sub-60 possession game for Florida State since the shot clock was changed. Adjusted for strength of opponent, it was the best offensive game that Florida State has played this year, and the worst defensive game of the year for Miami (FL).