3 takeaways as FSU Basketball obliterates overmatched Mississippi Valley State

This one was a mismatch from the beginning, but it was good to see FSU get back on track.
Dec 19, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Chauncey Wiggins (7) drives the ball as Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils forward Chance Sutton (5) defends during the first half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Dec 19, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Chauncey Wiggins (7) drives the ball as Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils forward Chance Sutton (5) defends during the first half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida State entered Friday night on a five-game losing streak, and they were dominated by the Dayton Flyers on Tuesday night. They needed a bounce back, and they would have a chance to do so against Mississippi Valley State, who is statistically the worst team in college basketball.

And, as it needed to be, this was a mismatch from the very beginning. FSU's offense was a little lackluster early, but they made life difficult for MVSU's offense, as at halftime, the Delta Devils had nearly as many turnovers (15) as they did points (17). Florida State's offense finally had some life down the stretch of the half, as they ended up taking a 54-17 lead into the break.

The second half was a little less smooth. MVSU was actually outscoring the Seminoles for the first 12 minutes of the half, as FSU's offense dried up, and the Delta Devils were getting a little more success, especially as they did a better job taking care of the basketball.

It wasn't until the final five or so minutes of the game that they started to run away with the lead again, and it was Shah Muhammad who provided a spark of energy, blocking some shots with serious force, slamming a few dunks home, and having a tough and-one. He got help from Cam Miles, who was putting passes in the right spot and blowing by defenders.

From there, the Seminoles would go on to win 96-49, giving them their first win since November 25th, which is crazy to say.

Here are three takeaways from this win.

READ MORE: Florida State has chance to bounce back against worst team in college basketball

1. Second Half Was Slightly Concerning

Florida State didn't really take off with this game until the final four minutes, as they seemed kind of comfortable with the lead. I would've liked to see them build the lead up even further to 50 or even 60, because they're more than capable of doing so, but I'm also not going to complain about a stress-free win.

2. Still Not a Very Clean Three-Point Shooting Game

Florida State shot well from three in the first half, going 8/19, but they ended up going just 4/18 in the second half. This was supposed to be a game where the shooting bounced back, but the way they shot in the second half makes it feel like they took their foot off the gas. Chauncey Wiggins finally put down some shots, but they needed a little more.

3. A Win is a Win. Sometimes, That's All We Need

Florida State needed a win any way they could get it. Even if MVSU is the worst team in college basketball, the 'Noles needed to put up a dominant win. They could've (and should've) dominated more, but there's only so much you can take away from a game like this. At least they're back in the win column.


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Austin Veazey
AUSTIN VEAZEY

Lead basketball writer; Former FSU Men's Basketball Manager from 2016-2019

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