Malique Ewin delivered a flawless performance, making all 10 of his field-goal attempts and scoring a career-high 24 points to lead Florida State past Miami 74-66 on Wednesday night in an ACC showdown.
Ewin, who scored 15 of his 24 points in the second half, was the driving force behind the Seminoles victory as they improved to 16-10 overall and 7-8 in ACC play. Jamir Watkins added 16 points and eight rebounds, despite struggling from the field (2-of-12 shooting). However, Watkins made up for it at the free-throw line, converting 11 of 14 attempts, including 7 of 10 in the final three minutes to help seal the win. Chandler Jackson also contributed 11 points for Florida State.
Miami (6-20, 2-13 ACC) was led by Lynn Kidd and Matthew Cleveland, who each finished with 14 points. Kidd also grabbed 11 rebounds, recording his second consecutive double-double and his team-leading sixth of the season. Despite Miami controlling the game for nearly 20 minutes and holding Florida State without a field goal for more than seven minutes in the first half, the Hurricanes could not capitalize, committing five turnovers and outscoring FSU just 9-4 during that stretch.
The Seminoles took control midway through the second half. A 10-2 run, fueled by two 3-pointers from AJ Swinton and a pair of layups by Ewin, gave Florida State the lead for good at 55-47 with eight minutes remaining. Miami never got closer than two possessions the rest of the way.
The loss continued Miami’s struggles on the road, where they remain winless this season (0-8). The Hurricanes have now lost 14 straight road games dating back to their 73-61 victory at Notre Dame on January 24, 2024.
Florida State, which also defeated Miami 80-65 on January 8, now leads the all-time series 58-37, including a dominant 36-9 record at home against the Hurricanes.
Both teams return to action on Saturday. Miami will host Virginia Tech, while Florida State will travel to face No. 25 Louisville.
