TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a thrilling match on Wednesday night, Malique Ewin showcased an impressive performance for Florida State, hitting all 10 of his attempts to rack up a career-high of 24 points, with 15 of those coming in the latter half of the game. Jamir Watkins contributed significantly as well, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds, aiding Florida State in their 74-66 triumph over Miami.
Chandler Jackson also made his mark by scoring 11 points for Florida State (16-10, 7-8 ACC). Although Watkins, the team’s leading scorer averaging 18.0 points per game, struggled somewhat with his shooting, going 2-for-12, he excelled at the charity stripe, sinking 11 of his 14 free throw attempts, including 7 out of 10 in the final three minutes of play.
For Miami (6-20, 2-13), Lynn Kidd and Matthew Cleveland each netted 14 points, with Kidd achieving a double-double by also grabbing 11 rebounds. Notably, Kidd had recorded another double-double just this past Saturday, finishing with 16 points and 15 rebounds in a match against Pittsburgh. This brings him to six double-doubles on the season, the highest on his team.
A turning point in the game came when AJ Swinton scored two 3-pointers followed by Ewin’s two layups, spurring a 10-2 run that established Florida State’s lead at 55-47 with eight minutes left on the clock. From that point, the game remained at least a two-possession difference in favor of Florida State.
Miami had control for almost 20 minutes and prevented Florida State from finding the basket for over seven minutes during the first half. However, the Hurricanes struggled with turnovers, committing five during that period and only managing to outscore Florida State 9-4.
This loss marks Miami’s ongoing road struggles, as they remain winless in eight attempts away from home this season, extending their losing streak on the road to 14 games since their last win against Notre Dame on January 24, 2024.
Florida State previously faced Miami and came out victorious with an 80-65 win on January 8. With this latest victory, they now lead the all-time series with Miami 58-37, boasting an impressive 36-9 record at home against the Hurricanes.
Looking ahead, Miami will return home to face Virginia Tech on Saturday. Meanwhile, Florida State will also compete on Saturday, as they take on No. 25 Louisville.
