College Basketball

FSU Basketball Recap: Noles Defeats Louisville to Finish Insane Stretch

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:48 p.m. ET

Fansided, Frank Urbina/FanSided via Chop Chat

FSU basketball got another huge win, defeating the Louisville Cardinals 73-68. They finish their stretch of six straight ranked opponents with a 5-1 record.

The FSU basketball team has accomplished what felt like the impossible two months ago. When the schedule was first released, showing a stretch of six games that included Virginia, Duke, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Louisville, most reasonably expected the Seminoles to struggle their way through that gauntlet. A 3-3 record would have been welcomed, 2-4 deemed acceptable.

But after defeating the Louisville Cardinals 73-69 in front of a raucous Tallahassee crowd, FSU has completed the stretch at 5-1. The only loss, which came at North Carolina, was a back-and-forth affair until the final five minutes. The Seminoles have done their part to prove they’re an elite team.

Today’s matchup against Louisville was probably the ugliest outing of the season. Both teams shot under 40 percent, and combined to make six threes. In total, 19 free-throws were missed. For a bit, it felt like poor shooting from the foul stripe was going to cost Florida State the win. Ultimately, there was no dagger shot made by the Seminoles to put the Cardinals away. Rather, it was a mix of tough defense and clutch free-throw shooting by Jonathan Isaac and Dwayne Bacon that sealed the deal.

The win gives Florida State a ridiculous 18-2 record, 6-1 in conference play. They now sit atop the ACC standings, along with UNC and Notre Dame.

Let’s get to the awards and highlights from yet another massive FSU basketball win.

Jan 21, 2017; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Mangok Mathiang (12) defends Florida State Seminoles forward Jonathan Isaac (1) during the second half at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game

Although it felt like he had a quiet game, Jonathan Isaac was a monster today. Despite his thin frame, Isaac is one of Florida State’s toughest players. He loves to rebound, and defends the rim with a surprising ferocity. Isaac scored 16 points on just seven shot attempts against Louisville’s elite defense. He made a three, along with all seven of his free-throw attempts. He also pulled down ten rebounds, blocked two shots, and had two timely assists.

Considering the opponent, that may have been Isaac’s most impressive performance of the season. Louisville is tall, long, athletic, and make scoring a hellacious task for their opponents. Isaac still found a way to do it, and with great efficiency too. The dude is just special.

I find it somewhat surprising that as the competition has hardened, Isaac has blossomed while Bacon has fizzled. Bacon scored 16 today, but it took him 17 shot attempts to do so, going 2-for-8 from three. It’s probably just a blip, but definitely one worth monitoring.

Jan 18, 2017; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles center Michael Ojo (50) shoots against Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Martinas Geben (23) during the first half at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Reid Unsung Hero Award

I should probably just give this to Terrance Mann and be done with it. Mann was great, scoring 15 points on ten shot attempts, to go with three rebounds and two blocks. But his free-throw shooting was so bad it almost cost FSU the game. He had a stretch in the final five minutes where he missed four of them in a row. Though he’s improved from the line this season, he’s gonna have to get even better next year, with more of the load falling on him.

So for our unsung hero, I’m going with Michael Ojo. The senior scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds, while also blocking a shot. Ojo made six of his seven free-throw attempts, which led me to wonder… did the coaching staff spend their entire summer working on Ojo’s shooting from the line, while neglecting everyone else? Sometimes, it feels like it’s a possibility.

Ojo also did a great job making life difficult for Louisville’s big men. Anas Mahmoud, the Cardinals starting center who went off for 17 points and 11 rebounds against Duke, was a ghost against Florida State. He finished the game with zero points, zero boards, and had four fouls in five minutes. Good stuff, Ojo.

Highlights

Here are your highlights from today’s game, courtesy of the ACC Digital Network.

If you notice that there’s a surprising amount of dislikes on this video, pay that no mind. Just a bunch of salty Louisville fans complaining about officiating. It’s as if their physical brand of defense is so good, they don’t deserve to be called for fouls. Sadly, that’s not the case, Cards fans. It’s college basketball, inconsistent officiating is just part of the game.

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Up Next

Though the tough stretch of games is finally over, Florida State does have to travel for their next three. First up, a trip to Atlanta to face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Wednesday. They may not be a great team, but winning road games in the ACC is never an easy feat. So be sure to tune in, and show support.

I know Atlanta has a huge FSU alumni base too, so it would be cool if the ‘Noles got a supportive road crowd. It’s somewhat of a rarity in conference play for our basketball team, and it would be cool to change that.

What a year it’s been so far. Legitimately excited to see how far this team can get come tournament time. I know one thing though: No one wants to see the Seminoles in March.