FSU Basketball Picks Up First ACC Win of Season, Beats Syracuse 90-74

Florida State starts off 2025 with a win

Austin Veazey | Jan 4, 2025

Jan 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Jamir Watkins (1) drives the ball to the net against Syracuse Orange guard Lucas Taylor (3) during the first half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

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Florida State played its first game of 2025 against the Syracuse Orange, with both teams looking to pick up their first win against a power conference opponent this season. The Orange got big news heading into this game, as JJ Starling returned to the floor after missing seven games with a broken hands.

And Starling's return made a big difference early. He had seven of Syracuse's first 14 points as it was a back-and-forth affair throughout the first half. An 8-0 run gave FSU their largest lead of six, but there were 12 lead changes in the first 20 minutes.

Florida State's biggest issue early was controlling the glass, as 'Cuse snagged nine offensive rebounds in the first half, including three in one possession by Petar Majstorovic, which led to an Orange bucket. FSU's defense was just having issues finishing off possessions or capitalizing off Syracuse's mistakes. They held the Orange scoreless for four minutes toward the end of the half, but could only build up a five-point lead before Syracuse stormed right back.

So, despite FSU getting solid contributions from Daquan Davis, Malique Ewin, Jamir Watkins, and Chandler Jackson in the first half, FSU held just a 36-34 lead heading into halftime.

The second half started more in favor of Florida State, building a lead as big as nine in the early going. But Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Chris Bell kept 'Cuse in it, scoring 14 points in the first eight minutes of the half to stay within arm's length initially, with FSU leading 57-53 at the under-12 timeout.

But Florida State started to take off from there. An 11-2 run fueled by transition opportunities and free throws gave the Seminoles a 68-55 lead by the under-eight timeout. This was one of the rare games of Florida State avoiding foul issues, but Syracuse put FSU into the bonus early in the half. Once the 'Noles were in the bonus, they continued to get downhill, get to the rim, and get to the free-throw line. They also kept their turnovers down while forcing Syracuse turnovers at a decent rate.

To try and get back in the game, Syracuse went to a zone as their offense was heating up from three. They were able to work the Seminole lead down to seven a few times, but they couldn't stop fouling FSU. And while they struggled to knock them down, Florida State was getting there so consistently that it didn't matter. They shot 23 free throws in the second half, more than Syracuse shot for the game (17).

That would carry the 'Noles to a 90-74 win, as Jamir Watkins (16 points, five assists), Malique Ewin (14 points, seven rebounds), Taylor Bol Bowen (14 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks), and Daquan Davis (18 points, three steals) were all in double figures. This was a much-needed win by committee instead of Ewin and Watkins dominating everything. Florida State also dominated this game in the paint (40-26) and from the free-throw line while also contending from the three-point line, shooting 7/18 from behind the arc.

Syracuse had five players score double-digits: Chris Bell (18 points), Donnie Freeman (16 points, 10 rebounds), JJ Starling (12 points), Lucas Taylor (10 points), and Kyle Cuffe Jr. (10 points). Holding Eddie Lampkin to just four points, five rebounds, and one assist as he dealt with foul trouble was a big reason the Seminoles were able to win this game.

Florida State will travel to play a reeling Miami team on Wednesday.

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