No. 9 FSU avoids being stung by Yellow Jackets in thriller

Tallahassee, FL — Physical contact was not a concern for either team, as the no. 9 Florida State Seminoles (24-5, 12-4 ACC) managed to earn themselves a hard-fought 64-61 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (17-12, 6-10 ACC).

To make this win even more memorable, it was Senior Day in the in the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, as the Seminoles bid farewell to seniors Ama Degbeon, Chatrice White, Imani Wright, Shakayla Thomas and graduate AJ Alix.

Starting off slow, the Seminoles managed to outscore the Yellow Jackets by a mere 13-12 in the first quarter. The game was very back and forth for both teams as these fouls became a major issue off the bat. Shakayla Thomas made her presence known to Georgia Tech in the first half by shoving one of their players straight to the ground after a defensive call didn’t go her way.

To make things worse, it seemed as though the referees knew about the physicality of the Yellow Jackets and made sure to call fouls for every slap on the wrist. Though this type of physicality is not typical for Florida State, Georgia Tech was right at home.

According to head Florida State head coach Sue Semrau, “a foul could’ve been called about every possession.”

It seemed as though the Seminole women were thriving when it came to battling for the basketball, and it showed throughout each completed bucket.

Heading into the second quarter with a lack of momentum building for each team, Florida State managed to acquire eighteen foul calls in less than eighteen minutes. Georgia Tech’s Kaylan Pugh made sure to steal each time the Seminoles left the opportunity available, but the Seminoles refused to relent.

Leading the charge for Florida State was none other than senior Chatrice White, who answered the call on the rebounding side of things.

Florida State finished up with a29-28 lead going into the half.

This was becoming a breakthrough type of game for Florida State, as they were attempting to leave their legacy of growth throughout this game. Georgia State's Elo Edeferioka made sure to respond with an easy bucket each time the Noles gave her the opportunity to, yet the Seminoles still managed to outscore the Yellow Jackets in both the first and third quarters.

Thomas took over on defense to make sure she ended the regular season with a win, and White managed to make her parents proud as she went to the line time and time again, completing each free throw resulting in becoming Florida State’s first player to finish 10-of-10 at the line.

Fighting through all the foul trouble, you could sense that Florida State wanted to leave a victorious legacy for the seniors and managed to do so by stepping up in every way in the 4^th quarter. This team came out to battle and fought for every possession, ultimately grinding out the close win.

With the win, Florida State clinched a double bye to start the ACC Conference Tournament. The win also gave the Seminoles their fourth straight win, something they haven't accomplishrd since 2000-01.