TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Langston Hall and Travis Smith each sank a pair of free throws in the final 23 seconds Sunday to lift Mercer to a 61-56 upset over Florida State's defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions.
Smith led Mercer, an Atlantic Sun Conference member, with 13 points and Hall finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals. It was the Bears' first win over Florida State since 1954, but their second win in as many seasons over an ACC team.
Mercer (4-4) bounced back from a 76-58 defeat at New Mexico last Wednesday while the Seminoles (4-3) have now dropped two in a row heading into Wednesday's game against archrival Florida.
Hall's jumper with 4:51 left gave Mercer the lead for keeps at 55-53 although the Seminoles were within a point at 57-56 on a Terrance Shannon free throw with 33 seconds remaining. There were 10 ties and 10 lead changes in the game.
Okaro White was the lone Florida State player in double figures, finishing with 14 points to go with a team-best six rebounds. Michael Snaer was held to just seven points and managed only six shots in the game for the Seminoles. Snaer, saddled with early foul trouble, didn't take a shot in the first half.
White's 3-point basket to start the second half gave Florida State a 30-27 lead, but Mercer countered with eight unanswered points to take a 35-30 lead they surrendered just four times during a see-saw second half.
Ian Miller gave Florida State its last lead at 51-50 on a 3-point shot with 5:59 left and added a pair of free throws half a minute later to tie the score at 53.
Mercer shot 37.5 percent (18 of 48) to Florida State's 35.4 percent (17 of 48) in the game. Mercer made 19 of 23 free throws while Florida State (4-3) was just 16 of 26.
