Robert McCray V scored 27 points to help Florida State basketball overcome a cold shooting night and double-digit deficit to beat Boston College 80-72 on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
The Seminoles (13-13, 6-7 ACC) trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half, but outscored Boston College 32-13 in the final 10 minutes to earn a comeback victory. The win puts FSU back at .500 this season and the Seminoles have won six of their last eight games.
McCray shot a team-best 60% from the field and helped keep the Seminoles in the game in the first half when they shot 30%. FSU had shot 29% from the field, 27-of-92, in the three halves of basketball at the Tucker Center leading up to the second half on Tuesday night.
The Seminoles found a shooting touch in the second half, shooting 61.9% from the field and 60% from three, with 18 points from McCray to lead the comeback charge. AJ Swinton, who was 2-for-10 from three on his last 10 attempts, buried a three with 3:38 left in the game to give FSU its first tie of the game that wasn't 0-0.
The Swinton three forced a Boston College timeout, and FSU outscored the Eagles 12-to-4 after the stoppage to close out the comeback win. A three from Chauncey Wiggins and a layup from McCray with just over a minute left sealed the win.
The Seminoles were ice cold in the first half, shooting 30% from the field and 18% from three. Boston College jumped out to a 21-8 lead in the opening 10 minutes, thanks in part to seven points from Fred Payne, who scored 13 first-half points, and six points from Chase Forte.
The Eagles took advantage of the lackluster defense from the Seminoles, who struggled to guard the paint, to the tune of three first-half dunks and 12 points in the paint.
While FSU continued to struggle from the field in the first half, they found success at the free-throw line, going 11-for-14. McCray was the lone FSU player to shoot better than 50% in the half, going 4-of-6 from the field, and scoring 9 points at the break.
The second half shooting improvements allowed the Seminoles back into the game, but improved defense helped close out the contest with multiple Boston College possessions going deep into the shot clock, ending with missed shots. FSU outrebounded the Eagles 42-30.
Alongside McCray's 27, Alex Steen scored 13 points and added eight rebounds, while Wiggins scored 11 and Lajae Jones added 10 points. Payne finished the night with 22 points for Boston College.
What's next for FSU basketball? A road trip to Clemson
- When: Saturday, Feb. 21 / Noon
- Where: Littlejohn Coliseum / Clemson, South Carolina
- Watch: CW
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State basketball stuns Boston College with double-digit comeback