Florida State men's basketball found itself in a nail-biter Wednesday night, but thanks to Chauncey Wiggins' hot hand and a little late-game luck, the Seminoles held off Cal for a gritty 63-61 win at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
It’s the second ACC victory of the season for FSU (9-12, 2-6 ACC) and, more notably, their first conference win at home. For a team trying to find traction in a tough conference slate, this one mattered - not just in the standings, but in the way it unfolded.
Wiggins set the tone early and often, pouring in a team-high 18 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting night. He wasted no time getting started either, draining back-to-back threes on FSU’s first two possessions. By halftime, he had 13 points and hadn’t missed a shot.
But what looked like a potential runaway win quickly turned into a test of composure. The Seminoles led by as many as 15, but a second-half surge from Cal - powered by sharp perimeter shooting and a standout performance from Justin Pippen - made things interesting down the stretch.
FSU’s second-half struggles at the line kept the door open. The Seminoles went just 8-of-16 from the stripe after the break, including three crucial misses in the final minute. That left the Golden Bears within striking distance, and they nearly capitalized.
Pippen, son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, led all scorers with 19 points, including 16 in the second half. He fueled Cal’s comeback with a series of tough drives and timely buckets, even giving the Bears a brief 59-58 lead with under four minutes to play.
But FSU responded. Robert McCray answered Pippen’s go-ahead layup with one of his own, reclaiming the lead for the ‘Noles. Then Wiggins added a key basket to push it to 62-59 before Cal clawed back within one.
The final minute was chaotic. With FSU clinging to a 62-61 edge, the Seminoles missed multiple chances to extend the lead - including a pair of free throws from AJ Swinton and a missed three from Martin Somerville.
Still, they had a chance to ice it when Lajae Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled with just seconds remaining. He hit one of two at the line, giving FSU a two-point cushion.
Cal had one last shot. Pippen got a clean look from beyond the arc, but his potential game-winner rimmed out. The ball deflected out of bounds off a Cal player with under a second left, allowing FSU to inbound and run out the clock.
Despite the tense finish, there were encouraging signs for the Seminoles - especially in the first half. After a slow start from the supporting cast (Wiggins scored FSU’s first 13 points), a timeout from head coach Luke Loucks helped spark a 28-9 run to close the half. That stretch included an 18-4 burst fueled by some creative post work from Wiggins and a highlight-reel drive from Jones, who showed off his footwork and body control on a slick left-handed finish.
Jones finished with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds, while McCray added 11 points, four assists, and three boards. In total, seven different Seminoles scored in the second half - a sign of more balanced production, even if the shooting cooled off considerably.
FSU shot just 21% from three on the night (4-of-19) and only hit one triple in the second half. But they made enough plays - and got just enough stops - to escape with the win.
Next up: a home matchup against Stanford. For a team still looking to build consistency, this stretch of games at the Tucker Center could be a valuable opportunity to find some rhythm and stack a few wins.