CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami 5-foot-7 freshman Chris Lykes scored a season-high 18 points, and the No. 15 Hurricanes withstood a late rally by No. 24 Florida State to win 80-74 on Sunday.
Bruce Brown scored a season-high 23 points and Dewan Huell had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Hurricanes, who took the lead for good in the early minutes and made 13 of their first 14 shots.
Miami (13-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) won at home for the first time since Dec. 5. The Seminoles (12-3, 1-2) lost for the third time in their past six games.
Florida State cut a 16-point second-half deficit to four with 24 seconds left. Braian Angola then made a backcourt steal but missed a 3-pointer that would have left the Seminoles trailing by one.
Brown made five of six free throws in the final 45 seconds and finished 12-for-14 at the line.
Angola had 16 points for Florida State, which shot a season-low 36 percent. Miami, ranked second nationally in scoring defense, held the Seminoles below their season average of 85.4.
Even a hand to the face couldn’t stop Lykes, who was hit as he made a basket — with no foul called — and briefly had to leave the game.
The acrobatic guard made two highlight plays in the first half. He drove into the lane and scooped in a shot from knee level, and in the final seconds he weaved past two defenders for a reverse layup to give Miami its largest lead of the half, 45-32.
His jumper to beat the shot clock with 4 minutes left slowed Florida State’s rally.
SLUMPING WALKER
Highly touted Hurricanes freshman Lonnie Walker IV started for only the second time this season, but that didn’t help him shake a slump. He hit a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession but finished with only five points in 15 minutes.
BIG PICTURE
The Hurricanes beat a ranked team for the second time this season. They won at then-No. 12 Minnesota on Nov. 29.
The Seminoles, who made 45 3-pointers in their three previous games, went 5 for 24 from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT
The Hurricanes began a stretch of three consecutive games against ranked teams. They play at No. 25 Clemson on Saturday and face No. 2 Duke at home on Nov. 15.
Florida State hosts Louisville on Wednesday.
