FSU Survives Notre Dame Surge, Grabs Gritty Road Win in South Bend
Florida State men’s basketball didn’t make it easy on themselves Saturday night, but in the ACC, any road win is worth its weight in gold. The Seminoles held off a furious Notre Dame rally to escape Purcell Pavilion with an 82-79 victory - their third straight win and fourth in the last five games.
For a team still trying to claw its way back to .500, this one mattered. Florida State improves to 11-12 overall and 4-6 in ACC play, while Notre Dame drops to 11-13 and a rough 2-9 in conference action. The Irish have now dropped four straight and nine of their last ten.
A Fast Start, Then a Fight to the Finish
FSU came out of the gates firing, racing to a 27-9 lead in the opening minutes and building what would eventually become an 18-point advantage in the first half. At the break, they were up 41-31 and in full control.
But as anyone who’s watched ACC basketball knows, no lead is safe - especially on the road. The Irish chipped away throughout the second half, eventually grabbing their first lead of the night, 75-74, with just over two minutes left to play.
That’s when Chauncey Wiggins delivered the kind of moment you dream about on your birthday. With the game teetering, Wiggins knocked down a clutch three to put FSU back in front. Then Lajae Jones added two critical free throws in the final minute to give the ‘Noles some breathing room.
Still, Notre Dame wasn’t done. They cut the lead to one with just over nine seconds left.
With Alex Steen fouled out, FSU turned to freshman Alier Maluk - who hadn’t played a second all game. Maluk stepped to the line and calmly buried both free throws, his first points since January 10, to push the lead to three.
Notre Dame had two looks from deep in the final seconds, but both missed the mark. Florida State walked out of South Bend with a gritty, gut-check win.
“We Squeaked It Out”
“It was a good effort. We made a ton of mistakes in the second half to allow them back in the game,” head coach Luke Loucks said postgame.
“To get a road win against anyone in this conference is a big deal. We squeaked it out.
It wasn’t pretty.”
Loucks didn’t sugarcoat the performance - FSU had three starters foul out and nearly let a double-digit lead slip away. But he praised the resilience of his team, especially the bench players who stayed ready.
“I’ve literally never seen a box score where a player plays zero minutes, zero seconds, and makes two of the biggest free throws of the season,” Loucks said of Maluk. “It’s a credit to our locker room. To those guys staying engaged even when they’re out of the rotation.”
Wiggins Leads the Way on His Birthday
Wiggins led all scorers with 22 points in a performance that felt as timely as it was personal. Robert McCray V added 15 before fouling out, while Jones chipped in 11. Steen had 10 points and nine boards before his night ended early, and Martin Somerville added seven points and a team-high six assists.
FSU shot 38.5% from the field (25-of-65) and hit 15-of-37 from beyond the arc - a solid 40.5% clip. They were sharp at the free-throw line, too, going 17-of-22 (77.3%). The ‘Noles dished out 15 assists and only turned the ball over five times - a key stat in a game decided by just three points.
Notre Dame actually outshot FSU at 42.2% from the floor and won the rebounding battle 47-37, including a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass. But the Irish were less efficient from deep (10-of-31) and left points at the line, going 15-of-24. Braeden Shrewsberry led the Irish with 18 points.
Series Stays in FSU’s Favor
With the win, Florida State extends its dominance in the series to 13-5 all-time, including a 4-4 record in South Bend. The Seminoles have now won six straight against the Irish and nine of the last ten overall.
Next up, FSU heads back to Tallahassee to host a red-hot Virginia squad on Tuesday night. The Cavaliers are 20-3 and ranked No. 18 in the latest AP poll - a major test for a Seminoles team trying to build momentum down the stretch.
But if Saturday night showed us anything, it’s that this Florida State team isn’t afraid of a little adversity.