FSU falls in opening game of ACC Tournament to Syracuse, 66-62

Florida State started the ACC Tournament on Tuesday night against the Syracuse Orange, hoping to go on a run of winning five games in five days in Leonard Hamilton's final season. They had already beaten Syracuse at home 90-74 in early January; would a neutral site change anything?

Syracuse had a solid start offensively, hitting its first two shots from deep and 4/6 from the floor overall. Eddie Lampkin Jr. was giving FSU some issues down low as the Seminoles insisted on switching 1-5 still, despite not doing it much in the first matchup in January.

And then FSU's offense dried up after the first media timeout, which allowed Syracuse to build a decent-sized lead. It would've been even worse if 'Cuse could've made layups, but they started 4/9 on bunnies. Once FSU stopped switching off of Malique Ewin, they started to get back in it.

A 10-2 run brought FSU within one at the final media timeout of the first half, with Jerry Deng getting five of those points. They'd tie it on a free throw soon after that, but Syracuse got two straight baskets to force a timeout by the Seminoles. That's what the difference would be at halftime, with Syracuse leading 30-26. Eddie Lampkin led all scorers with 12 points at the break.

Syracuse got out to a strong start in the second half, leading by eight for most of the first four minutes. It was JJ Starling getting downhill and getting six points that was the major difference from the first half.

The Orange started to realize against switches that they could just throw a shot up near the rim, and there was a good chance they'd come down with a rebound. That helped them open up a 16-point lead seven minutes into the half on a 10-0 run.

AJ Swinton finally got FSU back on the board after over four minutes without a made field goal, which started a 10-0 run for the Seminoles to at least get the lead down to six by the under-eight media timeout.

Two quick buckets got the lead back to 10 for Syracuse, but they couldn't hit free throws, keeping FSU in it. By the final media timeout, the Seminoles were only down five.

JJ Starling got to the basket to extend the lead to seven, but Justin Thomas matched it on the next possession. Eddie Lampkin was fouled and missed both shots, and FSU was quickly fouled on the other end but only went 1/2. JJ Starling kept getting to the basket to keep FSU at arm's reach, though.

Jamir Watkins was fouled while shooting a three to make it a three-point game with 48.9 seconds to go. Syracuse missed on its next possessions, and the ball landed out of bounds... off of FSU with 19.4 seconds to go. But the 'Noles got the steal and the layup to make it 62-61 with 9.5 seconds to go. Kyle Cuffe made both free throws and then Syracuse fouled Daquan Davis before he could get a shot up. Davis made the first, intentionally missed the second, and Syracuse grabbed the rebound. That would be all she wrote, and Syracuse would win 66-62, likely ending Leonard Hamilton's career unless they go to the NIT.

Syracuse won this game despite shooting 12/22 from the free-throw line. Neither team shot the ball well, with 'Cuse going 2/14 from three and FSU going 2/10. But Syracuse got 13 offensive rebounds, leading to 10 second-chance points.

JJ Starling lit Florida State up for 27 points, 19 coming in the second half. Eddie Lampkin Jr. and Jyare Davis each had 14 points for Syracuse.

Jamir Watkins led Florida State with 18 points and 11 rebounds in what is likely to be his final game at FSU. Jerry Deng and Daquan Davis each had 10 points.

If this is how the Leonard Hamilton era ends and the Luke Loucks era begins, it didn't come in an entertaining manner.

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