WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — In an exciting showdown on Wednesday night, Florida State secured a thrilling 72-70 victory over Wake Forest, marking their second consecutive win. Taylor Bol Bowen and Jamir Watkins each contributed 15 points, helping lead the Seminoles to a remarkable comeback in the final moments of the game. Malique Ewan also played a crucial role, scoring 14 points and collecting 12 rebounds for Florida State (15-9, 6-7 ACC).

Wake Forest had strong performances from several players, including Cameron Hildreth with 22 points, Hunter Sallis adding 20 points, Tre’Von Spillers contributing 13 points, and Efton Reid III grabbing 10 rebounds. This loss left Wake Forest with a record of 18-7 and a 10-4 in the conference.

The win was particularly significant for Florida State as it marked their first Quad 1 victory of the season, bringing their record in such games to 1-3. The Seminoles mounted a strong finish, outscoring Wake Forest 31-13 in the last 10 minutes of play.

With just 15 seconds remaining, Bol Bowen nailed a crucial three-pointer that put Florida State ahead 70-69, their first lead since being up 11-10 early in the first half. After claiming the inbounds pass, Ty-Laur Johnson for Wake pushed the ball forward but lost track of time, resulting in a deep three-point attempt that bounced off the back of the rim with eight seconds left.

Bol Bowen secured the rebound and quickly passed to Justin Thomas, who completed a breakaway dunk with only 2.6 seconds remaining, further extending the lead to 72-69.

In a frantic finish, Wake Forest’s Cameron Hildreth attempted a half-court shot after receiving the inbounds pass and was fouled by Daquan Davis with just 0.3 seconds on the clock. Hildreth missed his first free throw, sank the second, and deliberately missed the third, causing the ball to roll out of bounds, sealing the game’s outcome.

Looking ahead, Florida State is set to host 23rd-ranked Clemson on Saturday, while Wake Forest will travel to play against SMU on the same day.