North Alabama @ Florida State preview

Florida State closes out its nonconference slate on Saturday at home in the first-ever meeting with North Alabama. The 17th-ranked Seminoles have won three in a row after rallying from a 10-point deficit to defeat South Florida 66-60 in the Orange Bowl Classic last week.

The Seminoles forged the comeback over USF thanks to a defense that forced 24 turnovers, seven in the final 6:13 when they outscored the Bulls 19-3. For the game, however, Florida State was outrebounded by 14 (42-28) and they hit only 40 percent of their shots, with just 7-of-27 from long distance. “We normally hit our open looks and don’t get stripped when you get the rebound in the lane," Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton told reporters afterward. "But that’s what makes college basketball so exciting for the fans is that anyone is capable of pulling the game out on any day.” That's what North Alabama has to hope after falling to Alabama A&M 92-80 last time out, but Florida State enters Saturday having won 37 straight nonconference home games, the third-longest active streak in the nation.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra

ABOUT NORTH ALABAMA (5-6): Sophomore guard Jamari Blackman tops the Lions in scoring (13 ppg) but comes off his second straight disappointing effort, following up a six-point effort against UAB with a four-point showing in the loss to Alabama A&M, hitting just 2-of-8 shots, missing all five from deep. C.J. Brim paced the team in the loss with 22 points, breaking a string of seven straight games in single digits, while Emanuel Littles came off the bench to record a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Littles is the team's leading rebounder with 8.4 per game, while sophomore guard Christian Agnew is the only other Lion other than Blackman averaging in double figures (11 ppg).

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (10-2): Four Seminoles -- Trent Forrest, M.J. Walker, RaiQuan Gray and Anthony Polite -- scored a team-high 11 points in the comeback win over USF, but the team hit just 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) 3-pointers in the first half. Devin Vassell scored eight points in the victory and tops the Seminoles in 3-point shots made (15) while sharing the team lead in scoring (11.9 ppg) with Forrest. Florida State is averaging 75.7 points per game while giving up just 62.8, but the team has struggled on the boards of late, failing to reach 30 in two of the last four games.

TIP-INS

1. The Seminoles have won 13 straight home games.

2. Florida State tops the ACC with 9.67 steals per game.

3. Vassell leads the Seminoles with 19 steals and 13 blocks.

PREDICTION: Florida State 83, North Alabama 66