Florida State University Athletics
Saturday, January 4
Tallahassee, Fla.
6:00 p.m.
Florida State
10-4,1-2ACC
90
vs
74
Syracuse University
6-8,0-3ACC
1
2
F
Syracuse
34
40
74
Florida St.
36
54
90
Freshman Davis Leads Seminoles To 90-74 Win Over Syracuse
1/4/2025 10:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE – Freshman Daquan Davis scored 18 points, Taylor Bol Bowen earned his second double-double in the last three games, and four Seminoles scored in double figures to lead Florida State to a 90-74 win over Syracuse at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Davis tied a school record for perfection from the free throw line in an ACC game as he made all 10 of his free throws while Bol Bowen totaled 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Seminoles to their first ACC victory of the season.
Florida State is now 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. Syracuse is now 6-8 and 0-3 in ACC play.
After 12 lead changes and five ties in the first half, Florida State took the lead at 36-34 on a 3-point shot by Davis with 24 seconds remaining before halftime. From there, the Seminoles never trailed, led by as many as 18, and outscored the Orange, 54-40, in the second half to gain the win.
The first half ended the same way it began – on a 3-point shot by Davis. He started the scoring with a 3-point shot at the 19:40 mark of the first half and ended with a 3-point shot at the 24- second mark. Davis was two of four from the 3-point line during the game.
Despite Davis scoring a near career-high 18 points, Seminole head coach Leonard Hamilton spoke about his defense and his energy.
"Daquan had three steals tonight and has the most confidence a freshman has had since maybe Scottie (Barnes) was here," said Hamilton. "He made a huge difference tonight on offense and on defense."
Bol Bowen experienced an electric night with his second career double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds; he also tied his career high with three blocks. His first career double-double came with 13 points and 13 rebounds in Florida State's victory over Winthrop on December 17, 2024.
"Taylor has a skill set that is athletic, aggressive, and quick," said Hamilton.
Midway through the first half the Seminoles found themselves on an 8-0 run during a two-minute span to turn a 12-10 deficit into an 18-12 lead. As the first half drew to a close, Florida State continued to roll as Malique Ewin threw down a thunderous dunk (on a Bol Bowen assist) followed soon after by Davis's 3-pointer, giving the Seminoles a 36-34 lead head into the locker room.
The Seminoles scored first on a basket by Chandler Jackson (seven points) and never relinquished their lead over the final 20 minutes of the game.
Jamir Watkins totaled 16 points as he reached double figures for the 11th consecutive game. He surpassed the 1,300 points mark for his career as he made a 3-point jumper at the 5:51 mark in the second half. He and Ewin (14 points and seven rebounds) have now scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games.
The Seminoles won the battle in total rebounds (36-34), points in the paint by almost double (40-26), blocked shots (6-1), steals (9-6), and assists (17-13).
"That is how we build our program, having a complete rotation of guys," said Hamilton. "I saw them gathering together, I thought motivating and communicating with each other in a very positive way, and I thought they generated the energy that gave us an opportunity to extend the lead."
Syracuse was led by junior Chris Bell with 18 points. Syracuse had five players reach the double-digit mark.
"We want more," said Bol Bowen. "We're not satisfied at all by any means. We know what we're capable of and what we can accomplish together. And this is just the start."
The Seminoles hit the road heading down south to face Miami in Coral Gables on January 8, 2025, at the Watsco Center.
Florida State is now 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. Syracuse is now 6-8 and 0-3 in ACC play.
After 12 lead changes and five ties in the first half, Florida State took the lead at 36-34 on a 3-point shot by Davis with 24 seconds remaining before halftime. From there, the Seminoles never trailed, led by as many as 18, and outscored the Orange, 54-40, in the second half to gain the win.
The first half ended the same way it began – on a 3-point shot by Davis. He started the scoring with a 3-point shot at the 19:40 mark of the first half and ended with a 3-point shot at the 24- second mark. Davis was two of four from the 3-point line during the game.
Despite Davis scoring a near career-high 18 points, Seminole head coach Leonard Hamilton spoke about his defense and his energy.
"Daquan had three steals tonight and has the most confidence a freshman has had since maybe Scottie (Barnes) was here," said Hamilton. "He made a huge difference tonight on offense and on defense."
Bol Bowen experienced an electric night with his second career double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds; he also tied his career high with three blocks. His first career double-double came with 13 points and 13 rebounds in Florida State's victory over Winthrop on December 17, 2024.
"Taylor has a skill set that is athletic, aggressive, and quick," said Hamilton.
Midway through the first half the Seminoles found themselves on an 8-0 run during a two-minute span to turn a 12-10 deficit into an 18-12 lead. As the first half drew to a close, Florida State continued to roll as Malique Ewin threw down a thunderous dunk (on a Bol Bowen assist) followed soon after by Davis's 3-pointer, giving the Seminoles a 36-34 lead head into the locker room.
The Seminoles scored first on a basket by Chandler Jackson (seven points) and never relinquished their lead over the final 20 minutes of the game.
Jamir Watkins totaled 16 points as he reached double figures for the 11th consecutive game. He surpassed the 1,300 points mark for his career as he made a 3-point jumper at the 5:51 mark in the second half. He and Ewin (14 points and seven rebounds) have now scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games.
The Seminoles won the battle in total rebounds (36-34), points in the paint by almost double (40-26), blocked shots (6-1), steals (9-6), and assists (17-13).
"That is how we build our program, having a complete rotation of guys," said Hamilton. "I saw them gathering together, I thought motivating and communicating with each other in a very positive way, and I thought they generated the energy that gave us an opportunity to extend the lead."
Syracuse was led by junior Chris Bell with 18 points. Syracuse had five players reach the double-digit mark.
"We want more," said Bol Bowen. "We're not satisfied at all by any means. We know what we're capable of and what we can accomplish together. And this is just the start."
The Seminoles hit the road heading down south to face Miami in Coral Gables on January 8, 2025, at the Watsco Center.
Team Stats
SU
FSU
FG%
.441
.536
3FG%
.400
.389
FT%
.706
.742
RB
34
36
TO
14
9
STL
6
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
10
Pts
16
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
9
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Forward
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Guard
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