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For J.J. Starling, the reason for Florida State’s dominating presence inside was simple. The Seminoles simply got the shots to drop, while Syracuse didn’t.

Starling also noted that FSU thrived at getting downhill toward the basket, while setting good screens and converting on those layups.

Syracuse (13-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) improved inside by scoring 40 points in the paint after only recording 22 points near the hoop against Miami. But in its 85-69 loss to Florida State (11-7, 6-2 ACC), SU allowed 50 points in the paint. The lack of inside defense at the basket was crucial to the Seminoles’ 34-15 run over the contest’s final 12 minutes.

It was a game where head coach Adrian Autry said SU “stopped defending,” and the lack of paint defense stung as FSU’s offensive stars had a field day even with Judah Mintz scoring 28 points.

“They drove it,” Autry said postgame. “A lot of that was (Jamir) Watkins. He got into the lane, turned his hips…then Primo (Spears) broke the paint. Once the lead got extended, we kind of ran out of gas.”

Justin Taylor said Watkins, who scored a season-high 27 points with 13 of them coming over the last 12 minutes, wasn’t the main focus on defense. Rather, the Orange put the defenders’ focus on guard Darin Green Jr. But as the game wore on Green Jr. was less and less of a factor, scoring only eight points.

Watkins ended up being the factor that tipped the scales, especially once he moved inside the paint. With just over two and a half minutes remaining in the first half, Watkins worked his way from the top of the key to the right side of the paint, effortlessly breezing past Starling. As three other SU defenders were jammed near the hoop, Watkins scored on the layup.

Later in the second half, when he was throwing down one-handed dunks on the fastbreak, Watkins attacked the paint and drew contact and fouls against Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Quadir Copeland.

“Watkins was able to space the floor, get to his spots and hit shots,” Taylor said. “So we did a good job on Green Jr…But Watkins obviously hurt us in a lot of different ways.”

Watkins wasn’t the only FSU player to hurt the Orange down low. On an inbound play for the Seminoles, Maliq Brown tipped the ball up into the air and nearly created a fastbreak for the Orange. But Florida State’s Cameron Corhen nabbed it and set his team up with another chance to score in the paint.

After two passes, Chandler Jackson created space and had an open shot at the hoop. While his attempt missed, Corhen recovered and scored the bucket.

“They were attacking,” Brown said. “They were more aggressive in the second half.”

Autry said some of his players like Cuffe Jr. were aggressive and the head coach decided midway through the second half to put out a four guard lineup in order to get some stops with FSU’s perimeter players out on the floor. But that was exactly when Watkins started throwing down dunks in transition, which eventually made way for more plays inside for the Seminoles.

Jalen Warley drove from the top of the key exactly like Watkins did in the first half off of a screen. With Brown now guarding Warley in the 2-3 zone, the Florida State guard’s bank shot layup attempt hit the rim. But when Brown tried to go for the ball, he inadvertently sent it right to Corhen, who scored on the second chance layup. This gave the Seminoles a four point lead.

With five minutes left in the game, Baba Miller drove to the hoop and shot the ball as Brown defended. Brown blocked the shot but was called for goaltending, extending Florida State’s lead to 10 points. By this point in the game, with the Seminoles relentlessly scoring and building up the lead. All Autry and associate head coach Gerry McNamara could do was just look down as the Orange dropped their first game at home all season.

The performance from Florida State, which included 14 second chance points, clouded another stellar scoring performance from Mintz. Although Mintz dished it out infrequently and only tallied three assists, Autry said Mintz was the only one driving down into the paint. And with the defense shutting down as the time ticked away, the Orange recorded their sixth loss of the season, all of which came by at least 16 points or more.

“They were physical down into the paint and we didn’t match their physicality, especially in the second half,” Taylor said. “We just weren’t as tough as them.”

Published on January 24, 2024 at 12:21 am

Contact Henry: henrywobrien1123@gmail.com