CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A dominant 30-point performance from Robert McCray V propelled Florida State past California 95-89 in Wednesday's second-round ACC Tournament clash, as the Seminoles continued their remarkable late-season resurgence.
The eighth-seeded Seminoles (18-14) punched their ticket to Thursday's quarterfinal showdown against top-seeded Duke, setting up what promises to be a compelling postseason matchup.
McCray delivered an efficient outing, converting 10 of 17 field goal attempts in a display that included a highlight-reel windmill dunk off a steal that energized the arena. Lajae Jones contributed 15 points to the offensive effort, while Chauncey Wiggins added 14. Perhaps most notably, reserve Kobe MaGee delivered all 13 of his points before the break, providing a critical spark off the bench in the first half.
California's Dai Dai Ames led all scorers with 27 points in a losing effort, with Chris Bell chipping in 17 and Justin Pippen contributing 15. John Camden added 11 points, while Lee Dort put together a standout individual performance, hauling in a career-best 18 rebounds for the ninth-seeded Golden Bears (21-11).
Cal jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage, but Florida State quickly seized the momentum with a commanding 13-4 scoring run. A MaGee three-pointer with 12:13 remaining before halftime gave the Seminoles a lead they would never relinquish.
Florida State's perimeter shooting proved to be the defining factor, as the Seminoles connected on 53% of their field goal attempts (18 of 34) in the first half, including a sharp 7-of-14 clip from beyond the arc — a particularly impressive mark given they missed their opening five three-point attempts. California struggled to match that efficiency, shooting 41% (11 of 27) from the floor and a modest 27% (3 of 11) from three-point range in the opening half.
Florida State carried a commanding 46-32 halftime advantage into the locker room and wasted little time extending their dominance, pushing the margin to 56-39 with 16:31 remaining in regulation.
The victory underscores a broader narrative of resilience for the Seminoles, who have now claimed 11 of their last 14 conference contests after opening ACC play with five consecutive defeats — a turnaround that speaks volumes about the program's competitive adaptability mid-season.
For California, the loss compounds a troubling late-season slide of three defeats in their last four outings, leaving the Golden Bears anxiously monitoring their NCAA Tournament prospects ahead of Selection Sunday.
Up next
Florida State: Advances to the quarterfinals to face top-seeded Duke on Thursday.
Cal: Awaits their NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday.
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