The Syracuse Orange opened this match-up with the Florida State Seminoles holding a 10-6 all-time record, with 11 games being as Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents, where the Orange went 6-5. At home, Syracuse held a 4-3 record over Florida State. The Orange had won the last two games versus the Seminoles, and three of the last four.
Syracuse would begin the game up 4-0 before Florida State would gain their first lead of the night on a layup by sophomore forward Cam Corhen that made it 7-6 Florida State at the 14:57 mark.
Sophomore forward Chris Bell would get his first points of the night on a left-corner three that moved the Orange back ahead, 9-7.
Seminoles' senior guard Darin Green, Jr., would get his first points from long range as well, aiding Florida State in regaining the lead at the 12:48 mark, 12-11.
The Orange, down 21-15, were 1-for-7 from three-point range.
Syracuse sophomore guard Justin Taylor would block away a pass attempt inside which would lead to a transition dunk by fellow sophomore guard Judah Mintz.
Florida State would commit an offensive foul on the very next possession when sophomore forward Baba Miller would send Taylor to the line, who went 2-for-2 making it a one-possession game, 23-20 Seminoles.
Sophomore guard J.J. Starling would attack the rim, attaining his first points of the contest, but would miss the free throw, putting the Orange down 24-22.
Inside six minutes to play, Syracuse was 5-for-10 from the charity stripe. If they had made those free throws, they would be ahead by three instead of behind by two.
A corner three miss by junior forward Benny Williams would be grabbed by sophomore forward Maliq Brown who would put it up at the rim to tie the game at 26-all with 4:05 remaining in the first half.
Junior guard Primo Spears would break the tie when the Orange were called for hitting the net on the attempt at the rim, putting the Seminoles ahead 28-26.
Mintz's layup try was interfered with as well, so the game moved back to a tie, at 28-apiece.
The game would tie yet again, at 30-30 when Mintz went 2-for-2 at the line.
Starling made a baseline jumper on the right side to take the lead, but would miss an old-fashioned three-point play for the second time, bringing the score to 32-30 Syracuse.
Starling would dribble to the baseline and feed Bell who would attack the rim on the left side of the baseline. Brown would tip the ball after the miss by Bell and Williams would get a wide-open dunk, raising the Orange up 34-32.
Starling's two free throws would give Syracuse a 36-35 lead at the break.
Both teams would conclude the first 20 minutes of play cold from beyond the arc, Syracuse 1-for-9 and Florida State 3-for-11.
The Orange would be aided by going 11-for-16 from inside the arc.
Syracuse would miss eight free throws in the first half, going 11-for-19, while Florida State finished 4-for-8 in the first half.
The Orange out-rebounded the Seminoles 24 to 18.
Starting the second half, it took 16 seconds for Florida State to retake the lead, with Miller laying the ball up to make it 37-36 Florida State.
However, at the media timeout just inside 16 minutes to play, the Orange had gone on an 8-4 run to take a 44-39 lead.
Spears would tie the game on a jumper at the 13:59 mark to tie the game at 48.
Sophomore guard Quadir Copeland would turn the ball over immediately, but Darin Green, Jr., would turn the ball right back to Syracuse. De'Ante Green, a sophomore forward for Florida State, would foul Copeland and Copeland would go 2-for-2, giving the Orange a 50-48 lead.
A 7-2 run would give the lead back to the Seminoles, 55-54, with 10:53 remaining.
With 7:20 left to play, the Seminoles had out-scored the Orange 32 to 24 in the second half.
Less than two minutes later, at the 5:26 mark, Florida State had extended out to the first double-digit lead by either team in this game.
Florida State would score 50 points in the second half to Syracuse's 33, gaining the victory, 85-69, over the Orange.
With the win, the Seminoles have brought the conference record between the two to 6-6 and are now 4-4 when visiting Syracuse, New York.
Florida State also prevents their losing streak from going to three in a row against Syracuse.
Seminoles' redshirt-junior forward Jamir Watkins led the Seminoles, followed by Miller and Corhen with 12-apiece and Spears with 11.
Mintz led all scorers with 28.
Starling was the only other Syracuse player to attain double-figures, with 10.
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