Seminoles and Wolfpack set for tough ACC matchup

Raleigh, NC – The 20th-ranked Florida State Seminoles will try to continue their magic as they head to the RBC Center to battle the NC State Wolfpack in Atlantic Coast Conference action.

NC State has faced the Seminoles 47 times before today. The Wolfpack hold a 27-20 lead in the all-time series, but Florida State won both of last season's encounters.

Florida State provided yet another thrilling victory for its fans on Thursday night as Michael Snaer knocked down a three-pointer with seconds left to lift the Seminoles to a 48-47 triumph over Virginia Tech. Florida State was very fortunate to pick up the victory as it scored a season-low 48 points in the contest. Head coach Leonard Hamilton's team stayed in its first place tie with North Carolina and Duke in the ACC standings with the win. Florida State is now 18-7 overall and 9-2 in league action.

If Snaer were to be compared to an NBA player, the best match would probably be Chauncey Billups, as the junior guard has been the NCAA's Mr. Clutch this season. Snaer was great when it mattered most earlier this season as well when he buried Duke with a buzzer beating three-ball. Snaer is leading the team with 13.6 ppg. Bernard James provides inside toughness with 10.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Okaro White, Xavier Gibson, and Deividas Dulkys are all contributing to the Seminoles' success as well, which has them in great position for an ACC regular season title.

Head coach Mark Gottfried had to be disappointed as he watched his team fall apart and blow a 20-point lead in the second half on Thursday night in its loss to the Duke Blue Devils. NC State shot respectable averages of 44.1 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from beyond the arc in the defeat, which dropped its overall record to 18-8 and league record to 7-4. The Wolfpack's offense is the third-best in the ACC with an average of 74.3 ppg. On the defensive end, NC State is allowing 67.6 ppg.

NC State has a very balanced attack as five players average 11 points or more per game. Scott Wood and C.J. Leslie are both exceptional offensive players with averages of 13 ppg or better. C.J. Williams, Lorenzo Brown, and Richard Howell all get into the mix on a consistent basis. Howell is the fourth-best rebounder in the ACC with 9.2 boards per game. Brown finished with 19 points and five assists against Duke, while Leslie had 12 points and nine boards.