If you're refreshing your phone asking what's the florida state score, I have some tough news for you. It was a brutal night at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Florida State just couldn't close the door on Wake Forest, losing a nail-biter 69-68 on Saturday night.
Honestly, it's the kind of loss that keeps coaches up at night.
The Seminoles actually had this one. They were up by 11 points with less than five minutes left on the clock. You'd think a double-digit lead at home would be safe, right? Not this time. Wake Forest went on a tear, and Nate Calmese—who was basically a one-man wrecking crew for the Demon Deacons—hit a floating jumper with only 6.8 seconds left to sink FSU.
The Numbers Behind the Florida State Score
It’s easy to just look at the final 68-69 and move on, but the box score tells a much crazier story. FSU is now sitting at 7-12 overall and, more painfully, 0-5 in the ACC. That’s a rough start for any program, especially one with the history of the Seminoles.
Chauncey Wiggins was the bright spot for the Noles, putting up 15 points. He looked confident. Robert McCray V added 12 points and 5 assists, but man, the turnovers were a killer. McCray ended up with 11 turnovers. You just can't win tight conference games when one player is giving the ball away that many times, no matter how talented they are.
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FSU actually led at halftime, 34-31. They looked like they were finally going to get that first conference win. But the second half was a different story. Wake Forest outscored them 38-34 in the final 20 minutes.
What went wrong in the final minutes?
- The 11-4 Run: Wake Forest didn't panic. While FSU's offense stalled, the Deacs just kept chipping away.
- Turnover Trouble: FSU finished with 16 turnovers as a team. Wake Forest only had 5. That's a massive gap in extra possessions.
- The Final Shot: After Calmese hit his floater, FSU had one last chance. McCray took the shot, but it hit the front of the rim and bounced off. Game over.
More Than Just Basketball: FSU Sports Round-up
While the men's basketball team is struggling, the Florida State score across other sports is a bit more of a mixed bag. The women's basketball team is actually having a decent moment. They just beat Pitt 69-65 on the road, which was a huge relief for Coach Brooke Wyckoff.
Amaya Bonner has been a total spark plug lately. She dropped 22 points against Pitt. If you're looking for a reason to be optimistic about Seminole athletics right now, the women's team hosting North Carolina today (Sunday, Jan 18) is probably your best bet.
On the tennis courts, FSU has been dominant. The men's team swept Charleston 7-0 recently, and the women are currently in the middle of matches against USF and Bethune-Cookman. It's funny how a "bad" season in one sport can be balanced out by sheer dominance in the "smaller" ones.
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The Football Hangover
I know a lot of you asking about the Florida State score are still thinking about football. The 2025 season was... well, it was a lot. Ending with that 40-21 loss to the Florida Gators in late November left a sour taste in everyone's mouth.
Looking ahead to 2026, the schedule is already being talked about. It's a clean slate. Fans are already circling the calendar for the opener, hoping the 0-0 record stays pretty for as long as possible. The pressure on Mike Norvell to bounce back is going to be immense this spring.
Why FSU Struggles to Close Games
Watching the Wake Forest game, it felt like a recurring theme. The "identity" of this team is still a bit blurry. Are they a defensive powerhouse? Not really, they allowed 87.8 points per game over their last ten. Are they a sharp-shooting squad? They hit about 42% from the field, which is middle-of-the-pack.
The lack of a "closer" is what's hurting them. When the game gets tight in the last two minutes, who do you give the ball to? Against Wake Forest, the ball stayed with McCray, and while he's talented, the 11 turnovers showed he was being asked to do too much.
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What's Next for the Seminoles?
If you're a die-hard fan, you aren't giving up. The road doesn't get any easier, though. FSU has to travel to Coral Gables to face Miami on Tuesday, Jan 20.
Miami is always a hostile environment. If FSU doesn't fix the turnover issues and find a way to stop the ball on the perimeter, it could be a long night.
Actionable Steps for FSU Fans:
- Watch the UNC game today: The women's team plays at 2:00 PM. It’s a great chance to see if they can build on the Bonner momentum.
- Check the StatBroadcast: If you can't watch the Miami game on Tuesday, use StatBroadcast. It gives you the "real" Florida State score and advanced metrics in real-time.
- Keep an eye on the portal: With football spring ball approaching, the transfer portal is going to be the main way FSU retools that roster for the 2026 season.
It's a tough time to be checking the scores if you're a Nole, but that's college sports. One week you're down by one point at the buzzer, and the next, you're upsetting a top-ten rival. Stay tuned.