Live Blog: Florida State at UNC

The North Carolina Tar Heels will look to get back on a winning track after getting upset by Marquette for their first home loss of the season on Wednesday.

The Tar Heels suffered from a lack of energy against the visiting Golden Eagles and looked like the version of the team that staggered to a 5-4 start to the season, losing its first two ACC games.

The test will be significantly stiffer on Saturday, with ACC leader Florida State coming to town. The No. 11 Seminoles have won four straight and nine of the last 10 to pull percentage points ahead of Virginia for the top spot in the league.

FSU is one of the few teams with the size and depth to compete with North Carolina’s rotation of four big men. Adding to the matchup difficulty is Florida State’s ability to hit the three pointer. Six different Seminoles have at least 10 threes on the year, and four regulars are hitting more than 40 percent from deep. That’s an area that the North Carolina defense has struggled this season. The Noles hit 50 percent from three in a seven point win over the Tar Heels in Tallahassee last month.

For the first time this season, the Tar Heels will have a home court advantage. A change in state policy opened the Smith Center to fans up to 15 percent of capacity, which means more than 3,000 fans will be in attendance. Up until this point, only family members were allowed to watch UNC home games, meaning the home attendance was under 100 people per game.

Three quarters of the available seats will be reserved for Carolina students, so expect a rambunctious crowd to greet the Noles.

Your officials for today: Ted Valentine, Bill Covington, Pat Driscoll

Usual suspects are starting for Carolina: Black, Brooks, Bacot, Love, Walton

Garrison Brooks just shoved Kerwin Walton from behind with both hands to get him in position on defense. Walton promptly got a steal. Safe to say things are going well early for Carolina.

3,200 and change are in attendance, but it is loud here early on.

A lot of errant passes out of bounds on both sides. Five total turnovers in two and a half minutes.

Leaky Black fouled on a putback attempt. At the under 16, it's tied at 5.

Tar Heels have four of the five rebounds in the game, also four of the seven turnovers.

Black missed both free throws. Also missed a dunk a couple possessions earlier.

FSU has six rebounds. At least three of them were in the hands of UNC big men before being stripped away. Bacot, Brooks & Sharpe have each lost one

UNC has taken more threes than twos, just 1-for-7 from deep.

Walker Kessler putback breaks up a 10-0 FSU run and is just UNC's second make in 14 shots. At the under 12, it's 10-7 FSU

Sharpe stripped, leading to an FSU breakaway. Fans thought it should have been a charge. Since Ted Valentine is the ref, Sharpe gets called for an offensive foul on the other end. UNC has seven in nine minutes. FSU leads 14-7

UNC tries to press. FSU breaks it with three passes leading to a dunk. Roy Williams immediately sends Kessler in for Brooks and has a long conversation with Brooks

Sean May continuing the discussion with Brooks on the bench

Bacot charges for his second foul. Nine turnovers on UNC

On the other end, Sharpe picks up his second foul

FSU with a 7-0 run, Carolina now down nine. Leaky Black fouled on another putback attempt. He's been very aggressive to the rim today without much to show for it. At the under eight, it's FSU 23-14.

UNC is 2-of-12 from three, 2-of-7 from two

Freshmen have 11 of UNC's 13 turnovers. FSU outscoring them on points off turnovers, 16-5

Garrison Brooks gets popped by a high post screen and is not happy about it. Walker Kessler (who has had a problem with not calling them out this year) was in the game.

FSU hits a three. Noles are 3-of-8 (UNC is 2-of-14). Foul at the other end takes us to the under four with FSU expanding the lead to 35-20.

UNC appears to have regressed in the last two games. Back to the poor shot selection, turnover prone offense we saw at the start of the year.

Sharpe stripped as he goes up for a shot, leads to a three at the other end, although this may be changed to a two. Refs go to the monitor. FSU with either a 16 or 17 point lead.

It's a two. Noles lead 39-23 with 2:31 to go in the half.

Carolina cuts it to a 12-point margin at the half, 41-29. Heels are 2-of-14 from three, 5-of-14 from two. 14 turnovers give FSU a 19-5 edge in points off. FSU also destroying UNC in the paint, 22-8.

Bacot & Brooks have not attempted a shot. Sharpe is 0-for-3.

UNC has 14 offensive rebounds and seven second-chance points. That would be 0.5 points per possession when they get the offensive board.

Carolina returns to the court with 1:51 left on the halftime countdown ... about a half minute later than against Marquette.

UNC scores the first four points of the second half and FSU takes a quick time out.

Kessler with a putback (of Garrison Brooks' first shot of the day) cuts it to six. FSU throws the inbounds to no one. Carolina ball. FSU with four turnovers, one shot attempt to start the half. Kessler dunks again and it's a four-point game.

Walton for three and the lead is down to two. Carolina with a case of the Hulkamania right now.

FSU with a deflection out of bounds on a Caleb Love drive. At the under 16, it's 44-42 FSU

Leaky Black ties it with a jumper and UNC forces another FSU turnover. Kessler dunk puts UNC on top

FSU with seven turnovers in six minutes in the second half.

Platek gets juked to the floor guarding the ball. As he gets up, he's in perfect position to deflect a loose ball and finish off a UNC steal. Everything going UNC's way this half.

Sharpe's third foul (second offensive) takes us to the under 12. UNC up 52-50.

Walker Kessler with four straight points. Crowd explodes. UNC up seven. Time out FSU, 8:38 to play, UNC 59-52

UNC can't keep a loose ball in bounds and we go to the under 8. UNC up 59-54.

Roy is upset either about the music being played during the time out or the fact that they were putting Walker Kessler highlights and photos on the video boards. Waving frantically for them to stop ... something

FSU with four quick points to cut the lead to 61-58. FSU uses its final time out. 6:16 to go

Day'Ron Sharpe's fourth foul takes us to the under four. 3:50 left, FSU at the line trailing 66-61.

Kessler is 9-of-10 for 20 points today. Rest of the team is 14-for-50.

Walton hits two FT. UNC up 8 with 58 seconds left.

FSU scrapping hard. Got the loose ball rebound after a miss for two points last time down the court. Trying to do it again here. Refs checking monitor to see who it went out of bounds off of.

UNC up 74-68 with 30.5 left.

That'll do it. Huge win for Carolina, knocking off FSU in a raucous Dean Dome, 78-70

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