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Currently, Syracuse still sits on ESPN’s Bracketology as the first four out, despite a loss at No. 10 Notre Dame that swept the Orange this season. But Syracuse does have its upset win over then-No. 14 North Carolina to strengthen its resume.

On Sunday, Syracuse went back-and-forth with Notre Dame during the first quarter, but the second quarter was poor. The Orange scored just six points, finishing 0-13 from the field in the period, but they got back into the game with a 17-5 run to close the third period. Eventually, the Fighting Irish closed out the fourth quarter and won, damaging Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament resume.

The Orange continue their two-game road trip by visiting No. 24 Florida State. The Seminoles are in a little bit of a skid, losing two straight against Virginia Tech and Miami.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Seminoles (20-7, 9-5 Atlantic Coast).

All time series

Series is tied 5-5.

Last time they played

In Syracuse’s fifth to last game of the 2021-22 regular season, it hosted Florida State, which had entered 12-11 with just six conference wins. The Orange trailed by just four at the end of the first half, converting on four 3-pointers and shooting 53% from the floor in the first period.

But in the third quarter, Syracuse went 1-of-6 from beyond the arc and shot around 26% from the field. The Orange still managed to control the paint, scoring 30 points from inside and 13 second-chance points. And off FSU turnovers, Syracuse also scored 30 points. Florida State entered the final period with an 11-point lead, which Syracuse cut down into single digits. But despite four Orange players in double figures, Syracuse still fell 73-67, picking up its 10th conference loss of the season.

Arlo Stone | Design Editor

The Seminoles report

The Seminoles have turned around their program from a season ago and sit in fifth place in the ACC. They are a projected No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament and close out the regular season with games against Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Clemson — all teams below them in the conference standings. But, FSU enters on a two-game losing streak.

Offensively, FSU is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 82.6 points per game, ranking first in the conference. It dropped at least 90 points in four conference games, including 91 in a win over then-No. 11 NC State. The Seminoles boast the conference’s leading scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, who scores just over 22 points per game. SU’s Dyaisha Fair sits just behind her in second with over 20 points per game.

On the glass, Florida State averages 43.9 boards per game, ranking ninth nationally, per Her Hoop Stats. Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said 43 is her team’s target number, which will prove to be a matchup as FSU is led by Makayla Timpson with just under 10 boards per game.

How Syracuse beats Florida State

Syracuse essentially needs a game resembling its win over North Carolina. The Orange controlled the game from midway through the first quarter to the final buzzer. It will take more than just Fair to beat FSU’s highly prolific offense, so it will need to rely on Georgia Woolley and Alaina Rice while Dariauna Lewis and Kyra Wood control the paint.

The Orange will need to control the pace, which will be hard to do against a Seminoles team that has the eighth-highest possessions per 40 minutes, per Her Hoop Stats. Syracuse enjoys playing fast, but it will need to control the tempo to its liking. Defensively, FSU still concedes a lot of points, ranking 241st in Division-I.

Stat to know: 35.7%

Though Florida State concedes a fair amount of points, opponents shoot a 35.7% clip from the floor. Florida State will create low-percentage shots for Syracuse, which will need to use a blend of shots inside and on the perimeter to beat Florida State. If Syracuse struggles from deep, then Florida State and its 43.6% field-goal percentage will capitalize.

Player to watch: Ta’Niya Latson, guard, No. 00

Latson is the conference’s best shooter and has played in all 26 games for the Seminoles. Averaging 21.9 points per game, she shoots 46% from the field and 37.2% from deep. She is also reliable from the free-throw line, making over 86% of her free throws. The freshman has earned nine ACC Rookie of the Week Awards and was named to the Naismith Women’s Player of the Year midseason team.

Published on February 15, 2023 at 10:29 pm

Contact Cole: colebambini@gmail.com | @ColeBambini