Woeful three point shooting crushes FSU basketball's upset bid over No. 1 UF

Florida State's failed upset attempt against top-ranked Florida concluded with a 81-72 loss on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. The Seminoles shot 19% from beyond the arc and experienced a significant rebounding setback, as Florida dominated with 41 rebounds to the Seminoles' 29. Furthermore, Florida capitalized on 12 offensive rebounds, resulting in 14 second-chance points. On the free-throw line, Florida made 30 of 41 attempts, while FSU tallied 14 successful shots from 18 attempts.

The Seminoles struggled in the first half, hitting only three points in the opening minutes, including a three-pointer from Shon Abaev in the 18:03 mark. Subsequently, FSU pivoted to focus on the paint. Stability came from point guard Anthony Robinson, who scored 19 points and Sebastian Rancik, who netted 23 points, including nine of the Seminoles' final 17. Defense also shined, with key stops by the Seminoles leading to fast-break dunks by Kam Taylor and Elisee Assui.

Despite the Gators' inability to dominate, key shots from Urban Klavzar, who scored eight consecutive points in under a minute from 6:15 to 5:05, helped Florida maintain a narrow lead until the end. Florida successfully converted only two field goals after the 10-minute mark, while amassing 25 points from the free-throw line on 29 attempts. Liam Rooney contributed to the coverage of Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat.