March Madness arrived early on Wednesday night as Florida State pulled off a stunning second-half comeback to edge out Wake Forest 72-70 at the Lawrence Joel Veteran Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
🔴 FSU (15-9, 6-7 ACC) secured its first road win at Wake Forest since the 2019-20 season, while the Demon Deacons (18-6, 10-3 ACC) suffered a heartbreaking loss after leading for most of the game.
🔥 2nd-Half Surge Fuels Seminoles’ Victory
At halftime, FSU trailed 35-21, but a dominant 51-35 second-half performance, including a 27-9 closing run, turned the game in their favor.
🚨 With 8:22 left, Wake Forest held a 61-45 lead, seemingly on their way to a comfortable win. But the Seminoles responded with a 9-0 run, setting the stage for an electric finish.
With Jamir Watkins fouled out late, it was next man up—and that man was Taylor Bol Bowen!
💥 Clutch Moment:
⏳ 15 seconds left → Bol Bowen drills a three-pointer after a timeout by Leonard Hamilton, putting FSU ahead 70-69.
😱 Drama in the final second:
A half-court foul by Daquan Davis sent Cameron Hildreth to the line with three shots, but he missed two, sealing the victory for FSU!
📊 Standout Performances
✅ Taylor Bol Bowen & Jamir Watkins: 15 PTS each
✅ Malique Ewin: 14 PTS, 12 REB, 2 BLK (clutch game-tying shot at 67-67)
*✅ Justin Thomas: 8 PTS (back-to-back clutch 3s late)
Wake Forest’s Cameron Hildreth (22 PTS) and Hunter Sallis (20 PTS, 6 REB) were dominant, but FSU’s late-game defense made the difference.
🎙️ Coach Leonard Hamilton Reacts
🗣️ “We always have confidence in ourselves. We know when we play our best basketball, we can play anybody, anytime, anywhere.” – Taylor Bol Bowen
🗣️ “We were very fortunate to come away with the win. Wake Forest played a great–game, but our defense and execution in the last 10–minutes were much better.” – Leonard Hamilton
⏭️ What’s Next for FSU?
🏠 Home Sweet Home! The Seminoles return to Tallahassee to host No. 19 Clemson (20-5, 12-2 ACC) on Saturday at 2 PM.
🏀 FSU looks to avenge a 77-57 loss to the Tigers on Jan. 11 before hosting Miami (6-18, 2-11 ACC) next Wednesday at 9 PM.
💬 What a win! Drop your thoughts in the comments! ⬇️🔥
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