TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com) — Redshirt senior Harrison Prieto scored a career-high 13 points and pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds to secure his first-ever double-double as the Seminoles fell to Wake Forest 68-60 at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Florida State played the game without starters Naheem McLeod, Malik Osborne and Anthony Polite who average a combined 24.2 points and 14.5 rebounds.
Jake LaRavia had a near triple-double, Alondes Williams scored 23 points, Damari Monsanto hit a clutch 3-pointer, and the Deacons held on to gain their fourth ACC road win of the season. LaRavia had 18 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, missing out on a triple-double by one assist. Isaiah Mucius added 10 points for Wake Forest.
After falling behind by 11 with 11:58 remaining to be played in the second half, a 3-pointer by Caleb Mills drew Florida State within 57-56 with 3:51 remaining. Mucius struck back with a 3-pointer to give the Demon Deacons a 60-56 lead.
Cam’Ron Fletcher’s layup kept Florida State within at 64-60 with 53 seconds remaining before Monsanto’s clutch 3-pointer.
Wake Forest scored the final four points of the game to gain the ACC road win.
A slowed start hampered the Seminoles, who trailed by as many as seven in the first half and went into the locker room down 25-21 at the intermission.
Mills scored first for the Seminoles in the second half with a jump shot, and Fletcher scored on a layup to tie the game at 25-25.
However, the Seminoles were unable to hold on for a majority of the half and trailed by as many as 11 points.
Prieto made a career-high five field goals and was five of nine from the field (.556 percent). He added a three-point shot and a perfect two of two from the free throw line.
Mills led the team in scoring with 15 points and had a career-high three blocked shots.
The Seminoles continue to lead the ACC in steals with 208 for a 9.5 steals per game average. Six Seminoles had multiple steals: Mills, three; John Butler, two; Matthew Cleveland, three; Jalen Warley, two; Prieto, two; and Wyatt Wilkes, two.
Warley had two steals against Wake Forest, and is averaging 1.1 steals per game (24 steals in 22 games) and is one of four Seminoles (Mills, Polite, RayQuan Evans and Warley) who averages more than one full steal per game. Mills leader in steals for the Seminoles with a 1.8 steals per game average. The redshirt sophomore is also sixth in the ACC in steals per game average.
Freshman Matthew Cleveland scored in double figures with 11 points and just barely missed his third double-double with nine rebounds. Cleveland has scored in double figures ten times – with six of those double figure outings coming in ACC play (at NC State, at Wake Forest, vs. Louisville, vs. Miami, vs. Virginia Tech, and vs. Wake Forest).
Wake Forest’s Alondes Williams scored a game-high 23 points, while LaRavia had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Deacons.
The Seminoles continue their two-game home stand as they play host to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, February 9 at 9 p.m.
