FSU can’t keep up offensively in loss to Houston

Facing off against its first Big 12 opponent of the season, Florida State took on the Houston Cougars in a neutral-site matchup in Houston at the Toyota Center.

The game was closer than the scoring indicates, with the Cougars’ biggest lead being just 18 points, which was not small enough for the Seminoles to mount a comeback. Houston led for all but 1 minute and 6 seconds of this game and never looked back.

First Half

Houston controlled the flow of the first half against FSU by establishing superiority in many categories. They built their advantage on efficient scoring by shooting 47.1% from the field and commanding the interior outscoring FSU 20-12 in the paint, while the team’s attack saw double-digit performances by both Kings Flemmings and Emmanuel Sharp, who each got 13 points in the first half. Chris Cenac Jr, who came into this game leading the team in rebounds and is 7th in the Big 12 for that stat, grabbed 8 of them. He also got 10 points.

Florida State struggled with turnovers and a colder shooting percentage, 41.4% compared to Houston’s 47.1%. The Seminoles struggled to find a consistent offense, recording only 33 points. Their nine turnovers in the first half contributed to Houston securing 7 points off those miscues. Outside of a modest 7 points by Chauncey Wiggins, FSU’s scoring was spread thin among the starting five.

Second Half

Houston continued its commanding performance in the second half by outscoring FSU 41-34 in the final 20 minutes, powered by another dominant shooting display, hitting 51.6% of their field goals and 41.2% from three-point range. Emmanuel Sharp managed another 14 points this half to finish with a team high of 27 points. Milos Uzan dished out five assists to help Houston finish the game with a 23-10 advantage in total assists.

The defensive pressure was tough for Florida State, which committed 10 turnovers in the second half, 18 in total. They also were hampered by poor shooting efficiency in the second half, hitting only 35.7% from the floor and a cold 25% behind the arc. Despite solid efforts from Robert McCray V and LaJae Jones, who scored 11 and 9 points respectively, the Seminoles could not keep pace against last year’s No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

The game concluded with brick after brick, with Houston making 0 of their last 4 field goal attempts but also holding FSU to 1 of 7 on their final possessions. Ultimately, Houston’s consistent control over the game proved far too much for this young Seminoles team to overcome.

What’s Next?

The Seminoles fall to 5-4 (0-0 ACC) on the season but have a chance to regroup against a very favorable non-conference schedule to close out December. Their next game is against a 6-3 UMass team on December 13th from the Tucker Center, followed by a road trip to Dayton, Ohio, for a match against the 7-3 Flyers.