Opponent Preview: What to know before SU’s ACC Tournament quarterfinals matchup versus FSU

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GREENSBORO, N.C. — The chance for Syracuse women’s basketball to capture an elusive first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference title hasn’t been this high in nearly a decade.

A 23-win regular season, which tied a program record, earned the Orange a No. 3 seed in the 2024 ACC Tournament, their best conference finish since 2015-16. SU’s rapid turnaround from scandal — spurred by ACC Coach of the Year Felisha Legette-Jack enacting a culture change — has propelled it back into contention. Two campaign-defining wins over Notre Dame and staying in the AP Poll for the final seven weeks of the season highlighted the resurgent effort.

Now, SU enters March, and its first test takes place Friday night versus Florida State in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. The Seminoles come off a second-round victory over Wake Forest, and are winners of five of their last six contests.

Here’s everything to know about Florida State (22-9, 12-6 ACC) before it takes on No. 20 Syracuse (23-6, 13-5 ACC):

All-time series

The series is tied at 6-6.

Last time they played…

The Orange stormed back from down 18 to defeat the then-No. 15 Seminoles 79-73 in the JMA Wireless Dome on Jan. 18. Dyaisha Fair took over, dropping 31 points and drained a program-record nine 3-pointers — FSU only made five that night. Fair was also SU’s lone double-digit scorer. Still, each player who touched the floor tallied at least six points in an all-around effort.

A pair of 3s by Fair gave Syracuse a 73-69 advantage with two minutes left before the Orange sealed the game at the free throw line. SU outscored FSU 25-11 in the fourth quarter to clinch its second top-25 win of 2023-24.

The Seminoles report

Florida State experienced an inconsistent campaign in its second year under head coach Brooke Wyckoff. The Seminoles defeated Virginia Tech — the eventual No. 1 seed in the ACC— early in conference play, but a rough patch ensued. The loss to SU was followed by an upset to Virginia and getting blown out by 42 points at the hands of Duke.

FSU lingered on the border of a top-25 spot down the stretch of the regular season, though its damning losses kept it on the outside looking in. It salvaged a No. 6 seed in the ACC Tournament, and defeated Wake Forest by 17 Thursday to open the postseason.

Led by guard Ta’Niya Latson, the Seminoles boast the No. 18 scoring offense in the country, averaging nearly 80 points a game. Latson (21.4) along with Makayla Timpson (14.2), O’Mariah Gordon (13.4) and Sara Bejedi (12.5) all average double-digit points per game. FSU has one of the highest-volume offenses in the nation, as it has attempted the third-most shots and made the 11th-most field goals in all of Division I, per HerHoopStats.

How Syracuse beats Florida State

If it learned anything from last time, SU must start fast to avoid a premature exit in the ACC Tournament. FSU led 54-36 in the third quarter versus Syracuse in the first matchup and though the Orange clawed back, they won’t be given the same luxury this time around.

Secondary options Georgia Woolley, Alaina Rice, Alyssa Latham and others will need to step up and produce efficient performances. Fair’s 3-point masterpiece in the previous meeting will certainly cause Florida State to consistently double-team and trap the star guard. Open shooters should materialize, and the Orange need to take advantage.

If Syracuse’s depth can uphold its end of the bargain, the Seminoles will have no choice but to play normal defense on Fair, leading to opportunities for her to light it up from 3. Though, none of that can happen without a solid start.

Stat to know: 71.4

The Seminoles have the worst defense in the ACC. They give up 71.4 points per game, a figure even worse than lowly sides like Pittsburgh and Wake Forest. The problem lies in their fast-paced offense, combined with their struggles on the glass, allowing the 14th-most offensive boards per game in the nation (14.3).

No team has faced more shot attempts than Florida State this season, with opponents generating 2,202 field goal tries across 31 games. Fair, Woolley, Rice and Co. can take advantage of FSU’s deficiencies through volume shooting and outmatch its high-level offense.

Player to watch: Ta’Niya Latson, guard, No. 00

An SU win would come a lot easier if it stalls Latson, the fourth-leading scorer in the ACC. The sophomore guard shoots at an efficient 43.9% clip — though she converts at just 25.8% from 3-point range — and leads the Seminoles in assists per game (4.4). The Orange forced Latson into six turnovers in the two teams’ last meeting, and will need to do the same Friday as Latson will look to do damage inside the arc.