It was the absolute perfect send-off for the Florida State senior class.
Playing their final home game of the season, trying to stay above .500 in league play, the Seminoles completely dominated the visiting SMU Mustangs, 91-78, on Saturday afternoon at the Tucker Center.
And they did it on the backs of those aforementioned seniors.
Chauncey Wiggins smashed his career high with 31 points; Robert McCray V contributed 17 points and 12 assists; Lajae Jones added 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals; Kobe Magee had 10; and Alex Steen had eight points and four rebounds before fouling out.
Even Shah Muhammad, who hadn’t played a meaningful minute in conference play all season, had an emphatic dunk on a three-point play in the first half and finished with four points in seven minutes.
All told, the six Florida State seniors combined for 82 points as the Seminoles completed a remarkable in-season turnaround with the 13-point win on Saturday. And they were all showered with a loud, standing ovation by the FSU fans when they were subbed out for the final 90 seconds of the win.
“Just a credit to our seniors,” FSU head coach Luke Loucks said. “I’m so happy for them. Hopefully we can keep this momentum rolling.”
Now they turn their attention to next week’s ACC Tournament, where they will get a bye for the first day but, because of Miami’s loss at home to Louisville, will not be the No. 7 seed.
Instead the Seminoles will be the 8 seed and play the 9 on Wednesday. If they win that game then they take on No. 1 Duke the following day.
A daunting possibility to be sure, but if they play like they did on Saturday, particularly if they shoot like they did on Saturday, then who knows how long their run in the ACC Tournament can go?
After hitting just 2 of their first 11 shots from 3-point range against the Mustangs, FSU finished off the day by making 14 of its final 23 from beyond the arc. Led by Wiggins, the Seminoles were 16 of 34 from 3-point range.
“Everybody’s going to talk about the 31, which they should,” Loucks said of Wiggins’ dominant performance. “And talk about the six 3s, which they should. That’s really impressive. The nine rebounds and the three offensive boards is what I’m most pleased with. When he plays with that level of force, and especially he and Lajae, I would line us up against any team in the country … and feel like we’ve got a chance to win the game.”
Wiggins was the shooting star on Saturday, knocking down a career-high six 3-pointers, and McCray had four and Magee added three of his own as Florida State’s offense was clicking at such a high level that it was able to overcome an insane second-half performance by SMU star point guard Boopie Miller.
After scoring just four points in the first half, as the Seminoles built a 16-point lead at the break, Miller scored 28 in the second half to finish with a game-high 32. But unlike Wiggins, who got plenty of offensive support from his teammates, Miller was the only Mustang to shoot well from 3.
“When that kid gets rolling, he is tough to stop,” Loucks said.
And his high-scoring half wasn’t enough as the Seminoles, who almost squandered a 24-point lead on Wednesday at Pitt, never let the lead dip into single-digits on Saturday. Even as Miller caught fire in the early stages of the second half.
Wiggins, McCray and the rest of the FSU seniors were just too good on the other end of the court for it to matter.
“I’d take Rob McCray over any point guard in this league,” Loucks said of his senior guard, who finishes the regular season averaging 15.6 points and six assists per game. “And I don’t know if they’re still voting on All-ACC, if that’s done. But line up any point guard in this league, and I’m siding with Rob McCray. And I hope you guys write that.
“He doesn’t get the credit he deserves because we’re in Tallahassee and because of the way we started, let’s be honest. But that guy is unbelievable.”
McCray and the rest of the Seminoles are now 17-14 on the season and 10-8 in league play. After starting 0-5 in conference, they are one of the hottest teams in the conference heading into the postseason.
Florida State Seminoles guard Robert McCray V. (6) drives the ball to the hoop Saturday against SMU. (Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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