FSU Basketball completes improbable comeback at Wake Forest, wins 72-70

Florida State hit the road after a week off to play the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem on a pretty cold and rainy night for a February in North Carolina. They broke a four-game losing streak to beat Notre Dame last week, but Wake Forest has played well in ACC play. This would be no easy matchup.

It was about as good of a start defensively as you could ask for from FSU, holding Wake to 1/6 through the first four minutes. The Seminoles had active hands on blocks and steals, allowing them to get out in transition. But offense was hard to come by on both sides. At the second media timeout, both teams were shooting about 27% from the floor with a couple of turnovers to boot.

But Wake Forest started to find a rhythm, getting a step-back three by Cameron Hildreth and a few questionable calls/non-calls going against them as Wake opened up a 21-13 lead. That lead continued to grow as Wake was doing whatever was possible to not let Jamir Watkins or Malique Ewin get what they wanted, double-teaming them on about every opportunity possible.

By halftime, Wake was leading 35-21 as FSU was just 8/26 from the floor and 1/11 from three. Wake was daring anyone not named Watkins or Ewin to beat them, and it was working, as the rest of the Seminoles had 11 points on 3/13 shooting.

Florida State found a little offense in the second half, getting three-pointers by Jamir Watkins and Taylor Bol Bowen before a layup by Jerry Deng cut the lead into single digits with 13:40 remaining.

Florida State got the lead down to seven soon after, but Cameron Hildreth raced up the floor for an and-one to push the lead back to 10.

But that would be as close as FSU would be for a while. Hildreth and Hunter Sallis did a good job of controlling Wake's offense while the Seminoles could get nothing going. Once Jamir Watkins picked up his fourth foul with 10:20 to play, any hope of a comeback became minimal.

Taylor Bol Bowen was trying to give FSU's offense some life, hitting his second three-pointer of the half ahead of the under-eight media timeout to cut the lead to 11 again, but no one else was stepping up with him.

But all of a sudden, FSU fought back into the game. Jamir Watkins hit a layup and AJ Swinton cleaned up a miss, and the Seminoles found themselves down seven with a little more than six minutes to play. But Watkins fouled out before the final media timeout on a questionable offensive foul call. Without him on the floor, they didn't have any reliable shot-creators who could penetrate the defense.

FSU kept fighting, though. Daquan Davis hit free throws coming out of the final media timeout, and Justin Thomas hit a corner three to cut the lead to four with 3:15 to play. Then, after free throws by WF, Thomas got behind the defense and hit the open corner three to cut the lead to three.

Daquan Davis would go 1/2 at the line to cut the lead to two, but Efton Reid pushed the lead to four on an inside shot with 1:46 to play. Malique Ewin would get the lead down to two again, and, most importantly, they got a stop on the other end to give themselves a chance to tie or take the lead in the final minute.

Malique Ewin would tie the game with about 32 seconds remaining on a tough bucket inside before Efton Reid gave Wake the lead again.

But Taylor Bol Bowen hit a three with less than 20 seconds to play, and Ty-Laur Johnson put up one of the dumbest shots I've ever seen with less than nine seconds to go, in transition, and on the run from three. FSU collected the rebound, Wake didn't foul, and FSU was able to get a break-out dunk. But FSU made the costly mistake of fouling on a half-court heave by Cameron Hildreth.

TAYLOR BOL BOWEN ITS GOOD. NOLES HAVE THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/qirfg1Psh3
— Austin Veazey (@EasyVeazeyNG) February 13, 2025

Hildreth missed the front end, and FSU would go on to win 72-70.

Florida State outscored Wake Forest 51-35 in the second half and 27-8 over the final 8:22. Without Jamir Watkins on the floor, FSU outscored Wake Forest 18-7 in the final 4:50. This was as improbable as it gets.

Jamir Watkins had 15 points and 6 rebounds for the Seminoles, and Taylor Bol Bowen was right there with him with 15 points, 13 coming in the second half. Malique Ewin had 14 points and 13 rebounds. A lot of love has to be given to Justin Thomas as well, who had the biggest 8 points one could have.

Cameron Hildreth had 22 points for Wake Forest, and he was followed closely by Hunter Sallis with 20. Tre'Von Spillers with 13 points was the only other Demon Deacon in double figures.

Florida State will play Clemson at home on Saturday.

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