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Syracuse was well on its way to its first home loss of the season Sunday against Clemson. In a game where Syracuse fans expected Dyashia Fair to eclipse 3,000 points, the first half quickly turned into a nightmare.

Needing 14 points to hit the mark, Fair struggled, scoring just two in the first half and missing eight of her first nine shots. Not only was Fair having trouble, Syracuse was trailing by as much as 19 in the third quarter. But the Orange clawed their way back.

Fair hit a 3-pointer to end the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 11. Then in the middle of the fourth, Fair caught fire, leading a 14-0 run to give SU its first lead of the game. A back and forth final minute was capped off with Fair dishing the ball to Alyssa Latham for a go-ahead bucket with seven seconds left. One last stop gave Syracuse a 83-82 victory, its third straight in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

After defeating Clemson, SU will face its biggest test of the season since defeating then-No. 13 Notre Dame — No. 15 Florida State. The Orange have gotten by pesky teams like Boston College and Clemson, but they don’t compare to the Seminoles, who are coming off an 89-81 victory over then-No.11 Virginia Tech.

Here’s everything to know about No. 15 Florida State (14-4, 5-1 ACC) ahead of its matchup with Syracuse (14-2, 4-1 ACC):

All-time series

Florida State leads 6-5.

Last time they played

The Orange traveled to Tallahassee to face then-No. 24 FSU on Feb. 16, 2023. Syracuse battled with Florida State but ultimately lost 78-65. SU fell behind early, trailing 24-17 after the first quarter. In the opening frame, the Seminoles went 10-for-16 shooting. Syracuse kept the deficit at seven in the second quarter before cutting the lead down to three heading into the fourth.

A 3-pointer from Fair —who finished with a team-high 19 points — with 4:28 left made it 67-65 FSU. Despite FSU’s lead dwindling to 3, Fair’s basket would be Syracuse’s last of the game. The Seminoles then cruised to victory after an 11-0 run.

The Seminoles report

Florida State enters its matchup with Syracuse on a three-game win streak and winning seven of its last eight. The Seminoles return three of their top four scorers from last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance, all of whom average double digits. FSU has a diverse scoring offense with four players averaging at least 13.3 points per game. As a team, the Seminoles have the second-best offense in the ACC (83.9 points per game).

The Seminoles’ offense is efficient, shooting 43% from the field, which ranks 85th in the country according to HerHoopStats. FSU also knocks down 35.1% of their 3-pointers — 51st in the country. At the same time, Florida State rarely turns the ball over, averaging just 11.3 per game (seventh) while holding a turnover rate of 12.4% (second).

Cindy Zhang | Digital Design Director

How Syracuse beats Florida State

A fast start against Florida State would go a long way toward a Syracuse victory. SU’s first quarter against Clemson was disastrous, falling behind 16-3 inside three minutes. The Tigers’ 29 first-quarter points were the most the Orange have allowed in an opening quarter this season. SU can’t afford to start that slow against a much-better FSU side.

Syracuse also needs to get Georgia Woolley going on offense. Woolley is shooting 20.6% from 3 after a 29.8% clip from range last year on nearly five attempts per game. This year, Woolley is averaging less than four attempts per game, including four total over the last two games. If SU wants to be successful going forward, it needs Woolley to fire away from 3 to break out of her slump.

Stat to know: 14.7

Florida State is one of the worst teams in the country in keeping teams off the offensive glass, letting up 14.7 offensive boards per game. While Syracuse hauls in 17.3 per game, the third-most in the country. Seven different times this season, the Orange have finished with at least 20 offensive boards, including 21 against Clemson. SU forwards Kyra Wood and Latham could be in for a big night crashing the offensive glass.

Player to watch: Ta’niya Latson, guard, No. 00

Last season, Ta’Niya Latson came in as one of the top-ranked incoming freshmen in the country. She started fast, leading the ACC in scoring with 21.1 points per game, including seven contests where she scored more than 30 points. Latson earned All-ACC First Team honors for her strong freshman campaign.

Despite a slight dip in her numbers this season, Latson is still the driving force behind FSU’s success. Latson is third in the conference in scoring (20.2) but had a three-game stretch to start ACC play where she scored 30 points in each. She finished with a career-high 35 on Nov. 17 in a win over Florida.

Published on January 17, 2024 at 10:39 pm

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