Robert McCray V missed a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer as Florida State men’s basketball lost to Duke 80-79 in the ACC tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12.
McCray got FSU’s final shot in Charlotte after Alex Steen blocked Cameron Boozer on Duke’s final possession. Rather than call a timeout, Luke Loucks let his Seminoles team try to win it. McCray elected not to drive to the hoop and try to get two points, opting to take a step-back three, which was an open look, but he hit the back iron.
The Seminoles end the season 18-15 and will not make the NCAA tournament. No. 1 Duke awaits the winner of Clemson and North Carolina in the ACC tournament semifinal.
Lajae Jones scored 28 points, including 12 in the second half, while McCray added 25 points for the Seminoles to lead the FSU scoring effort.
Duke’s Isaiah Evans had 22 first-half points, and he finished the night with 32 points, setting a new career high. His previous career high came against the Seminoles in January, where he scored 28. Cameron Boozer scored 23 points and added 10 rebounds.
FSU lost the game due to poor rebounding, foul trouble and missed free throws
The Blue Devils out-rebounded FSU 46-25 and recorded a whopping 22 offensive rebounds.
The most crucial one of the night came after Evans missed a three-pointer with just over a minute left in the game and the Blue Devils ahead 78-77. Duke’s Cayden Boozer was wide open in the paint and grabbed the missed three and laid it in to make it an 80-77 game, which proved to be the winning basket.
FSU struggled in the first half on the boards and staying out of foul trouble. Duke had 26 rebounds to FSU’s 11, and Maliq Brown had eight first-half rebounds, including five offensive. Brown finished the night with 13 rebounds.
The Seminoles committed 13 first-half fouls, but Duke bailed them out by going 11-of-20 at the free-throw line. McCray and Thomas Bassong both had three first-half fouls, which forced both players to play cautiously in the second half.
McCray did not pick up a foul for the remainder of the game, while Bassong fouled out with five minutes left.
Rebounding wasn’t the only costly issue for the Seminoles, as they missed five second-half free throws. The misses came in key moments, including on the front end of multiple one-and-ones that could have led to extra free throw attempts.
The Seminoles finished the night 12-18 from the free-throw line.
Lajae Jones, Robert McCray V, almost carried the Seminoles to an upset
Jones took over down the stretch, including scoring a quick seven points that cut Duke’s lead to five points with four minutes to go.
He hit two free throws, nearly dunked on Cameron Boozer before switching to a layup late, and then hit a three all within a minute of gametime.
McCray, despite early foul trouble, remained steady throughout the game. While he had turnover trouble, six total, he came up with some big buckets.
While he missed the final shot, McCray had 55 points in two games at the tournament.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU basketball falls to Duke, ends season in ACC tournament