Florida State Defeats Gonzaga To Advance To Elite Eight

The story of this game happened before the ball was even in the air. Gonzaga was without Killian Tillie who missed the game with an injury in practice. However, Florida State was able to extend its man to man defense nearly the entire game and take advantage of a mismatch that most didn’t see coming. I talked in the preview about how Gonzaga’s guards were actually subpar during the first weekend and that held true tonight.

The two guards for Gonzaga combined for just 16 points and 6-for-20 from the field, but it was more than that. They weren’t able to create off the dribble and break down the Florida State defense. That’s what Gonzaga was supposed to do – whether Killian Tillie played or not.

For Florida State it was all about Terance Mann, who had one of the filthiest dunks we’ve seen in the tournament. Mann had 18 points and 5 rebounds and was able to do what Gonzaga’s guards were supposed to. Mann broke down the defense, drawing attention or getting into the lane.

Florida State advances to play Michigan in the Elite Eight on Saturday.