Inside the box score: FSU basketball stretches win streak to three games

1. Point guard Jose Alvarado is the engine that makes Georgia Tech go, but against Florida State he was 0-5 on 2s, 0-5 on 3s, and fouled out. He was scoreless for the first time this season and second time in his career. This comes on the heels of Miami’s point guard Chris Lykes scoring just one point versus FSU. Since Florida State switches so much on defense this can’t be attributed to any one player on defense, but rather is a game plan focus being executed.
2. The Seminoles are now 16-5 (4-4) which matches their start from last season. That team went 5-5 down the stretch (and 0-1 in the ACCT) which was good enough for a 9-seed. Pomeroy currently projects the ‘Noles at 10-8, and with a win or two in the ACCT that would hopefully be enough to get FSU into the 6/7 seed range which often produces favorable draws. FSU is currently given a 41% chance of winning at Syracuse, and a 51% chance of beating Louisville in Tallahassee. Find a way to split those two and the ‘Noles will be set up for a strong finish.
3. Trent Forrest had three steals, including a crazy play where he poked the ball out from behind on a break and in the same motion scooped it and threw it behind his back to Terance Mann for the dunk. He now has 139 steals for his career, which is one better than Deividas Dulkys and tied for 13th all time. If he continues at his current pace and is healthy for his senior year, Forrest will challenge Charlie Ward as the all time steals leader at FSU.

4. Is the injured trio of Phil Cofer, Terance Mann, and Trent Forrest now just an injured duo? Mann certainly appeared to have more bounce than any game since injuring his heel versus Winthrop. He moved nicely on defense. He was explosive. He got to the line eight times, which is a season high. He finished with 12 points and seven boards. A healthy Mann would go a long way toward getting FSU’s offense back on track.

5. FSU won 59-49 in a 66 possession game. The anemic 0.89 points per possession scored by Florida State was their 2nd worst output of the year. But for the Georgia Tech defense, that was just an average game. That defense (ranked 10th nationally) is legit. But FSU’s defense was even better, limiting the Yellow Jackets to just 0.74 points per possession. It was GT’s 3rd worst game of the year, and the lowest FSU has held an ACC opponent since February, 2010.