FSU basketball cant slow UNC's Caleb Wilson, drops ACC opener 79-66

1 week ago 2

Florida State men's basketball dropped its ACC opener to No. 12 North Carolina 79-66 on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Despite the Seminoles' best efforts to slow UNC freshman sensation Caleb Wilson, he took over the game and posted his 10th double-double of the season. He scored a game-high 22 points, with 16 rebounds to go with six assists and two blocks.

After a slow start, Wilson started to take over for UNC, going on a 90-second first-half run that saw him score 5 points, grab a pair of rebounds, and get an assist to give the Tar Heels an early six-point lead.

Wilson would continue his hot shooting for the remainder of the half, scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds. A putback dunk from him put UNC up 37-25 with just under three minutes left in the half.

The Seminoles, however, closed the half on a 9-3 run with a trio of three, to make it a 40-34 game. FSU's Kobe MaGee made all three of his threes in the opening half and led the team in scoring with nine points at the break.

FSU shot 37% from deep in the first half and 39% overall from the field. UNC was 10-of-12 from the free throw line and scored 16 points in the paint alongside eight points off turnovers to lead by six at the break.

In the second half, FSU cut the lead to as low as a point, and had multiple chances to tie or take the lead of the game, but an 18-3 UNC run turned the game from a nail-biter to a 62-46 lead in a flash.

After a scoreless first half, UNC center Henri Veesaar scored 12 second-half points, which, paired with Wilson's 22 points and 20 points from Seth Trimble, helped push the Tar Heels away from FSU. Veesaar finished with a double-double, grabbing 12 rebounds.

The Tar Heels outrebounded FSU 47-37, including 16 offensive rebounds. Wilson and Veesaar accounted for 28 of UNC's total rebounds.

The Seminoles got as close as 10 points with under three minutes left to play after trailing by as much as 16 in the second period. However, a 5-for-21 half from three prevented FSU from fully clawing back into the game.

FSU's Chauncey Wiggins led the team in scoring with 16 points, followed by 12 from MaGee and 11 for Robert McCray V. The Seminoles finished the game shooting 30% from three (12-for-40), and 35% from the field.