Florida State women’s basketball (23-6, 13-4) was whole again.
Ta’Niya Latson and O’Mariah Gordon returned for FSU to pull off an upset victory over No. 4 Notre Dame (24-4, 15-2), 86-81, on Thursday night in front of a hostile crowd of 8,761.
It’s the first time FSU has beaten the Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion and the second time in their all-time meetings. The Seminoles have won back-to-back road games against AP Top-25 opponents for the first time in program history.
It was Notre Dame’s first back-to-back losses since 2021. The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 1 in 3-point percentage, made only four 3s on 13 attempts.
“It was a total team effort, and that’s how you want to win these types of games. And that’s what we did here on the road,” FSU coach Brooke Wyckoff said.
In her first game back, Latson struggled to make her baskets. She only put up four points and was 2 for 11 in the first half. She finally knocked off the rust, took over in the fourth quarter with 13 points, and led the game with 23 and nine assists.
Makayla Timpson recorded her 15th double-double this season and 46th in her career in the first and finished the night with 22 points and 17 boards.
Timpson broke the FSU record for most career rebounds after grabbing her sixth. She already owns a double-double record this season. Gordon scored 15 points in her first game, and Carla Viegas came off the bench with 12 points.
Once Notre Dame had a 15-point lead early in the second quarter, it looked like it had full control. Then Wyckoff called a timeout, and FSU started attacking the zone.
Viegas and Sydney Bowles sparked FSU’s offense by knocking down six triples, which led to a 21-3 run. FSU captured its first lead after outscoring the Fighting Irish 30-17 and led 44-40 to end the period.
“We just needed to play faster. We were hesitant. I thought on both ends of the floor, I wasn’t happy with our toughness and intensity,” Wyckoff said. “I thought we were tentative, and so even against the zone, we needed to attack faster. We need to move the ball faster, cut faster, attack off the dribble faster, and we did.”
FSU held on even though Notre Dame caught up to the Seminoles in the third quarter to regain the lead at 53-52. The Seminoles picked up their first double-digit lead, 47-37, when Viegas knocked down her fourth 3 of the night.
The fourth quarter was all Latson. She made five of her nine shots and went 3 for 4 in her free throws, which put her at 2,000 career points and broke the record for most free throws made.
Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, who was playing with frustration the entire game, finished with 16 points, and Olivia Miles had 10 points. Both were 0 for 5 from behind the arc. Sonia Citron led the Fighting Irish with 21 points. Liatu King had recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
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What’s next for FSU women’s basketball
FSU has one more game left to complete the regular season and prepare for the ACC Tournament. The Seminoles will return to Donald L. Tucker Center for Senior Night to take on the No. 15 Duke (22-7,13-4) at 6 p.m. Sunday.
A win against the Blue Devils to end the regular season could make the Seminoles a top-four seed and give them a double bye in the conference tournament, which will start on March 5 at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: No. 24 FSU basketball stuns No. 4 Notre Dame, earning back-to-back road wins
