The Sports Xchange
Dec 16, 2017
SUNRISE, Fla. -- No. 19 Florida State, which had been one of five undefeated teams left in the nation, was upset by Oklahoma State 71-70 Saturday in the Orange Bowl Classic at the BB&T Center.
OSU (8-2) was powered by shooting guard Jeffrey Carroll, who scored 23 points in his first start of the season. His second-half 3-pointer put him over 1,000 career points, just the 41st OSU player to reach that milestone.
The Cowboys had a 17-7 second-half run to take the lead. In the final minute, FSU took a one-point lead on a put-back by Terance Mann. But OSU grabbed the lead back on a put-back by Mitchell Solomon with 5.4 seconds left.
FSU had one last chance but CJ Walker was called for an offensive foul. Solomon, who had 12 points, drew the charge.
FSU (9-1), which would have tied the best record in school history had it won, was led by Phil Cofer, who scored 22 points and tied his career high five 3-pointers.
The Seminoles also got 20 points and 14 rebounds from Mann and 12 points from Mifiondu Kabengele.
The game marked the OSU debut for 6-foot-11 junior center Yankuba Sima, a transfer from St. John's who produced five points and three rebounds off the bench.
Both of the Cowboys' losses this season came against teams currently ranked in the top 10: No. 3 Wichita State and No. 9 Texas A&M. Saturday's win snapped OSU's seven-game losing streak against ranked opponents.
FSU led 38-34 at halftime thanks to 14 points by Cofer, who made 4 of 5 3-pointers. No other Seminoles made a first-half 3-pointer.
The Seminoles had two other double-figure scorers in the first half: Mann with 12 points and Kabengele with 10. FSU's lead might have been larger if not for 14 turnovers, five more than OSU. Eight FSU players had at least one turnover.
Carroll had 11 first-half points, helping keep the Cowboys in a game that featured nine lead changes and seven tie scores.
NOTES: This was Oklahoma State's first game since the dismissal of freshman PG Zach Dawson and junior SG Davon Dillard. This was supposed to be a homecoming for Dawson, a Miami native and OSU's top freshman for the Class of 2017. ... This was just the second meeting between Oklahoma State and Florida State and the first since the Cowboys beat the Seminoles in 1964. ... Oklahoma State gave FSU's Leonard Hamilton his start as a head coach in 1986. Current Kansas coach Bill Self was on Hamilton's staff at OSU.