Florida State with 'a lot to prove' vs. Georgia Tech

Field Level Media|published: Fri 17th January, 14:52 2025

NCAA Basketball: Florida State at Miami (FL)

Jan 8, 2025; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Jamir Watkins (1) looks on against the Miami Hurricanes during the first half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Looking to match its best start in four seasons, Florida State hosts reeling Georgia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference game on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Seminoles (12-5, 3-3 ACC) will look to inch closer to the NCAA Tournament bubble as they try to pick up their fourth win in five tries.

On Wednesday, Florida State earned an emotional 82-70 home win over Pittsburgh, in which Malique Ewin's last-second dunk for the Seminoles sparked a shoving match after the final buzzer.

Despite the melee, Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton appreciated the fight his team showed, as the program tries to return to postseason play for the first time in four years.

"I didn't see all that happened after the game; I know there was a lot of commotion. However we're supposed to deal with it, it will be dealt with," Hamilton said. "I think with the position we're in, we feel like we have a lot to prove.

"We think we're a little better than what our record shows. But to be honest, this game won't matter very much unless we prepare ourselves mentally for Saturday."

In Tuesday's victory, Jamir Watkins led Florida State with 26 points, increasing his average to 18.6 points per game - fifth in the ACC. Ewin follows with 14.1 points and 7.9 rebounds, while Daquan Davis adds 9.0 points.

Georgia Tech (8-10, 2-5) has lost three straight games, including Tuesday's 70-59 home loss to Clemson. The Yellow Jackets, who were playing without leading scorer Lance Terry (15.4 points), didn't crack the scoreboard until 12:43 remained in the first half. Terry missed the game with a hand injury.

Slow starts have plagued Georgia Tech over its three-game skid, with a first-half average of just 22.7 points in those contests.

"That puts us in a hole," Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire said of his team's slow starts. "You're already playing shorthanded, and you can't do that yourself. We've just got to regroup and get ready for Saturday."

Javian McCollum scores 12.4 points for the Yellow Jackets and Baye Ndongo collects 12 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds.

A win for Georgia Tech on Saturday would be its first in Tallahassee since February of 2016.

--Field Level Media