The eighth-seeded Florida State Seminoles continued its late-season surge Wednesday night, defeating the ninth-seeded California Golden Bears 95–89 in the second round of the 2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The win sends Florida State into a quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Duke Blue Devils on Thursday.
Florida State leaned on a dominant performance from Robert McCray V, who poured in 30 points while shooting an efficient 10-of-17 from the field. His highlight moment came on a steal that led to a thunderous windmill dunk, igniting the Seminoles and their fans during a key stretch of the game.
Florida State (18–14) also received balanced scoring from several contributors. Lajae Jones added 15 points, while Chauncey Wiggins chipped in 14. Reserve guard Kobe MaGee provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring all 13 of his points in the first half, including the go-ahead 3-pointer that shifted momentum firmly toward the Seminoles.
California (21–11) had multiple players step up offensively despite the loss. Dai Dai Ames led the Golden Bears with 27 points, while Chris Bell added 17 and Justin Pippen finished with 15. John Camden scored 11 points, and Lee Dort controlled the glass with a career-high 18 rebounds.
California came out quickly, racing to a 9–2 lead early in the contest. But Florida State responded with a 13–4 run that swung the game in its favor. The Seminoles grabbed the lead for good when MaGee knocked down a 3-pointer with 12:13 remaining in the first half.
Florida State’s offense caught fire before the break. The Seminoles shot 53% (18 of 34) from the field in the first half and connected on 7 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc after missing their first five 3-point shots. Meanwhile, Cal struggled to keep pace offensively, shooting 41% (11 of 27) overall and just 27% (3 of 11) from deep.
The Seminoles carried a 46–32 advantage into halftime and stretched the lead to 56–39 with 16:31 remaining in the second half. Although Cal mounted several pushes behind Ames’ scoring, Florida State maintained control down the stretch.
The victory continues a strong turnaround for Florida State in conference play. After opening ACC action with five straight losses, the Seminoles have now won 11 of their last 14 games against league opponents.
With the win, Florida State advances to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals to face Duke, while California’s postseason future now hangs in the balance as the Golden Bears await their fate on Selection Sunday for a potential NCAA Tournament bid.
