Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers Basketball Recap

The Florida State Seminoles opened ACC play last night against the Clemson Tigers in Tallahassee. The conference battle came down to the final minutes before the Seminoles pulled ahead to win 75-69.

Although on paper the Seminoles led the Tigers in nearly every category coming into the game, the Noles had struggled against tough competition early in the season. After winning their first five games, the Noles faced the No. 14 Florida Gators three weeks ago and lost, 55-51. The Noles then turned around two days later to play the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, a contest they lost by a score of 58-44. After defeating Hartford and then Clemson, the Noles now boast a 7-2 record (1-0 conference) and sit at second place in the ACC.

FSU's main problem the last few games has been its poor shooting. Against Florida, the Noles shot 34.5 percent from the field, and against Ohio State, they shot 35.4 percent. In comparison, the Noles averaged a 49.5  field goal percentage their first five games. In the four games since, they've averaged just 37.7 from the field. Granted, the competition wasn't as tough the first five games as it's been since, but the level of shooting accuracy has definitely been an area of concern for coach Leonard Hamilton's team, which shot just 37 percent against Hartford a few days before this game against Clemson.

The Noles overcame their bad shooting last night when they scored 47 second-half points to come back from a 34-28 halftime deficit. Their 43.5 percent shooting on Sunday was due in part to junior Chris Singleton's offensive resurgence. After averaging a double-double through FSU's first five games, Singleton had scored 23 points through the three games before last night. Against Clemson, Singleton contributed 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting plus 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

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The real star last night was forward Deividas Dulkys who added 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block. Dulkys was the man who hit several big baskets down the stretch and emerged as the Noles' go-to scoring option at crunch time. Anyone who can regularly hit mid-range jumpers in the final two minutes of regulation will be prized beyond measure in Tallahassee, because this team has historically withered on the vine by failing to score in late-game possessions.

The Seminole bench also continues to be a strong point of the team as they contributed 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal against Clemson.

As is true with any team, the Seminoles have strengths and weaknesses with their team. A strength, the Noles are ranked sixth in the nation in rebounds per game (43.4). Also, FSU ranks first in the ACC (23rd in the nation) in points per game allowed (58.0). On the other hand, the Noles rank no higher than 141st nationally in assists per game, points per game, and field goal percentage.

Coach Hamilton and the Seminoles have their work cut out for them. If they wish to survive a tough conference schedule, they must begin shooting better. They also need Singleton to step up and resume his role as a constant scorer for the Seminoles. Moreover, they need the changes quickly as they face the heart of their conference schedule in less than a month. 

By: Lauren Goddard
ACC-Fans Staff Writer