Florida State men’s basketball faced a heart-wrenching loss on Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Donald L. Tucker Center, as they fell to Wake Forest 69-68 in a game filled with missed opportunities and critical turnovers. The Seminoles’ struggles were highlighted by a final-second floater from Nate Calmese that sealed the win for the Demon Deacons.

The loss extended Florida State’s (7-11, 0-5 ACC) losing streak to five games, leaving them still winless against Power 4 opponents and in the ACC this season. Despite showing moments of promise, the team was unable to maintain their composure, especially in crucial moments.

Key Player Struggles

Robert McCray V, the team’s point guard, was a major factor in the loss. He committed 11 turnovers during the game, including a pass that went out of bounds with just 18.1 seconds remaining. While he managed to score 12 points, grab six rebounds, and dish out five assists, his turnovers kept Wake Forest in the game and ultimately allowed them to pull off the victory in the final seconds.

McCray’s performance was a source of frustration for both the team and the coach. “Turnovers, and I had plenty of them in my career, so I would know, turnovers are deflating, especially live ball turnovers because they lead to easy offense going the other way,” said FSU head coach Luke Loucks after the game.

He added, “You have to fight your human nature and not let those turnovers affect the next possession.”

Momentum Shifts

The Seminoles seemed poised to break their losing streak, leading by nine points with four minutes left in the game. However, a 14-4 run from Wake Forest in the final minutes proved too much for Florida State to overcome. Turnovers and cold shooting prevented the Seminoles from pulling away, and it cost them the game.

Chauncey Wiggins was a bright spot for the Seminoles, scoring 15 points, with 11 coming in the second half. This marked his 12th double-figure game of the season and fifth in the last eight contests. Thomas Bassong, who started for only the third time this season, contributed 11 points.

First Half Struggles

In the first half, Florida State started strong with an 8-2 run, building a 24-16 lead after the first 10 minutes. However, nine first-half turnovers, including six from McCray, hindered their momentum. Wake Forest clawed back into the game, taking their first lead of the night with 3:52 left in the first half, leading 29-27.

A layup and a free throw from McCray helped the Seminoles regain the lead, and they entered halftime ahead 34-31.

Second Half Drama

The second half featured six lead changes, with neither team gaining more than a 10-point advantage. Despite most of their success coming from beyond the arc this season, Wiggins focused on attacking the paint in the second half, exploiting size mismatches against Wake Forest guards.

Late Game Collapse

Florida State attacked the paint in the final eight minutes, with AJ Swinton hitting a and-1 at the 7:11 mark, and Lajae Jones scoring a layup through contact with 6:39 left, putting them up 61-53. However, more turnovers and a lack of field goals in the final 4:27 allowed Wake Forest to make a late comeback.

The Seminoles allowed two offensive rebounds in the final 30 seconds, leading to a Demon Deacons layup with 24.1 seconds left, making it a 68-67 game.

Final Seconds

With 18.1 seconds left, a McCray turnover gave Wake Forest the ball and a chance to win the game. After a timeout, Calmese drove into the paint and hit a floater over two FSU defenders to take the 69-68 lead.

McCray had one final chance to tie the game, but he missed his floater.

Loucks reflected on the loss, saying, “Rob’s turnovers, I know he’s beating himself up right now, it’s tough to win a game when your point guard turns it over that much. However, there was a lot of emotion for him going into this game. He started his career at Wake Forest. I know he wanted this win more than anyone in this building.”

He continued, “It is what it is. I drew up the last play for Rob for a reason, and I’ll do it again, even knowing the end result.”

“Because he has to understand my confidence in him as a point guard, but more importantly, his teammates’ confidence in what he can bring to this team. When Rob is at his best, we are a really good team. Tonight, he was probably pretty close to his worst, and we still had a chance to win.”

“He’s beating himself up, and anyone who watched the game is probably blaming him for the loss. We didn’t lose because of Rob McCray tonight. We lost because what kept us in the game, what got us in the lead, our defense and rebounding, fell apart down the stretch.”

What’s Next for FSU?

Florida State will look to bounce back as they head on the road for a matchup against Miami. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Fans can watch the game on ESPNU.

Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.