TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State used a hot shooting performance Saturday night to pull away from SMU, defeating the Mustangs 91-78 at the Tucker Center and handing SMU its second straight loss heading into the ACC Tournament.
The Seminoles (17-14, 10-8 ACC) shot an efficient 51.7% from the field and knocked down 16 three-pointers to secure the conference victory. SMU (19-12, 8-10 ACC), which entered the night ranked No. 38 in the NCAA NET rankings, struggled defensively despite controlling the glass.
Senior guard Boopie Miller delivered the brightest moment for SMU, pouring in a career-high 32 points, including 28 after halftime. Miller connected on 7-of-11 from beyond the arc and extended his double-digit scoring streak to 38 consecutive games, the longest by a Mustang since at least 2000.
The performance also pushed Miller closer to a major milestone. He now has 1,963 career points, placing him among the NCAA’s active scoring leaders.
SMU had three players finish in double figures. Center Samet Yigitoglu added 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while grabbing nine rebounds, including seven offensive boards. Forward Corey Washington chipped in 12 points and six rebounds.
Despite the loss, the Mustangs controlled the boards, outrebounding Florida State 37-29.
Senior guard Jaron Pierre Jr. finished with seven points, six assists and five rebounds, pushing his career total to 2,132 points, which ranks among the top active scorers in Division I.
SMU again played without co-captain B.J. Edwards, who missed his third straight game with an injury after starting the team’s first 28 contests this season.
Florida State’s perimeter shooting proved to be the difference. The Seminoles outscored SMU from deep, hitting 16-of-34 attempts from three-point range compared to the Mustangs’ 12-of-31.
Head coach Andy Enfield, in his second season at SMU, saw his team fall to 19-12 overall. Enfield now holds a 43-23 record with the Mustangs and a 304-198 mark in his 15-year coaching career.
SMU now turns its attention to postseason play. The Mustangs will enter the ACC Tournament as the No. 11 seed and face either Syracuse or Wake Forest in the opening round Tuesday afternoon at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
