J.J. Starling delivered a standout performance with 27 points as 14th-seeded Syracuse held on to defeat 11th-seeded Florida State 66-62 in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Tuesday at the Spectrum Center. The Orange made clutch free throws in the final seconds to secure the victory and advance to face No. 6 seed SMU in the second round on Wednesday.
Starling was the driving force for Syracuse (14-18), shooting 12-for-23 from the field while knocking down three 3-pointers and grabbing five rebounds. Eddie Lampkin Jr. contributed 14 points and nine rebounds, while Jyare Davis added 14 points and six boards.
Florida State (17-15) was led by Jamir Watkins, who posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Reserves Daquan Davis and Jerry Deng both chipped in 10 points for the Seminoles.
The Orange never trailed in the final 17 minutes after taking an early 8-4 lead, fueled by a layup and 3-pointer from Davis. Syracuse held a 30-26 halftime advantage, thanks in part to Lampkin’s 12 points and six rebounds in the first half.
A strong start to the second half saw Syracuse stretch its lead to 50-34 after a dunk by Naheem McLeod with 13:15 remaining. However, Florida State steadily chipped away at the deficit. Watkins converted three free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer, bringing the Seminoles within 62-59 with 48 seconds to play.
A critical turnover by Syracuse allowed Malique Ewin to score, cutting the deficit to 63-62 with nine seconds left. Florida State fouled Kyle Cuffe Jr., who calmly sank both free throws to push the lead back to three.
Syracuse then strategically fouled Daquan Davis with two seconds remaining, preventing a potential game-tying 3-pointer. Davis made the first free throw but missed the second, and Jyare Davis secured the rebound before being fouled. Davis converted both free throws to put the game out of reach, sealing the Orange’s victory.
Syracuse now turns its attention to a second-round matchup against SMU, looking to extend its tournament run.
