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Watkins' Double-Double Leads Florida State past Syracuse In The Dome, 85-69
1/23/2024 10:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Jamir Watkins scored a career-high 27 points and earned his second double-double of the season with a career-high tying 11 rebounds to lead Florida State to an 85-69 win over Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Done. The win for the Seminoles marked their third consecutive win in the Dome and upped their ACC record to 6-2.
The victory for the Seminoles was their third consecutive ACC road win. The Florida State has now won at Notre Dame (January 13, 67-58), at Miami (January 17, 84-75) and at Syracuse in three consecutive ACC road games. The Seminoles have won eight of their last 10 since defeating Winthrop (December 22) and five of their last six ACC games since beating Georgia Tech (January 3, 82-71).
Florida State closed its game against Syracuse on a 37-17 run to earn the victory. The Seminoles trailed by a 52-48 margin with 13:30 remaining to be played and quickly increased their lead to win going away. A lay-up by Cam Corhen at the 10:53 mark gave the Seminoles a 55-54 lead – an advantage the Seminoles would continue to build on throughout the remainder of the game. The Seminoles led by 10 (72-62) on a fast break lay-up by Baba Miller and by 20 (85-65) on a jumper by Watkins with 1:49 left to play.
Watkins led four Seminoles in double-figure scoring with his career-high 27 points. Also in double figures were Primo Spears with 13, Miller with 12 and Cam Corhen with 10.
Syracuse's Judah Mintz scored a game-high 28 points with three assists.
The crowd of just under 20,000 inside Syracuse's famous Dome could sense a great career-high night was ahead for Watkins as he scored five points in the first 5:41 of the game. He totaled 12 points at halftime and was electric in the second half with 15 points. He was a perfect six of six from the free throw line with four made field goals after halftime.
The next leading scorer for the Seminoles was Spears who scored 13 points, and who finished as Florida State's leader with six assists.
Florida State and Syracuse were locked in a shoot-out in the first 20 minutes as both teams played end to end with the Seminoles applying their famous applying full-court pressure on the Orange. Following a deep 3-point shot from right in front of Florida State's bench by Miller, the Seminoles were within one, at 31-30, heading into the locker room at halftime.
This second half was all Florida State as it outscored the Orange by a 50-33 score after halftime. At the 12-minute mark, Watkins went coast to coast on a fast break dunk which certainly shifted the momentum away from the home team.
The Seminoles played with the energy demanded of them by Hamilton and his staff and led for the final 11 minutes of the game. The biggest run for the Seminoles, 9-0, and their biggest lead, 20 points, highlighted the second half for Florida State who moved into sole possession of second place in the ACC with the victory.
The Seminoles' defensive pressure was strong as they held Syracuse to a single three-point shot. The Orange made their only 3-point shot of the night at the 14:33 mark of the first half to pull within 9-7. Syracuse missed its final nine 3-point field goal attempts and were 0-5 from distance in the second half.
Miller was Florida State's third-leading scorer with 12 points. He also added three rebounds and one steal.
The Seminoles face the University of North Carolina Tar Heels at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 27 in the Donald L. Tucker Center.
