TALLAHASSEE –Malique Ewin scored a career-high 26 points to lead Florida State to a 76-69 victory over SMU at the Donald L. Tucker Center. The win marked Seminole head coach Leonard Hamilton‘s 200^th career ACC regular season victory. He is now one of only four coaches in the history of the league to win 200 or more regular season ACC games.

Florida State improved to 17-14 overall and 8-12 in ACC play, while SMU fell to 22-9 overall and 13-7 in conference play.

Hamilton joins Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Dean Smith and North Carolina’s Roy Williams as the only coaches in ACC history to win 200 or more regular season ACC games.

Ewin’s standout performance marked his fifth game scoring 20 or more points this season. He also leads the ACC in field goal percentage and grabbed eight rebounds, tying for game-high honors with teammate Jamir Watkins. Watkins added 20 points of his own, continuing his impressive offensive streak of 10 consecutive games in double-figure scoring. He has scored in double figures in 28 of Florida State’s 30 games.

“Malique Ewin played very good today,” said SMU head coach Andy Enfield, a former Seminole assistant under Hamilton.  “Our big guys had a tough time. We were trying to double him (Ewin) in the post. He made a lot of drives and very good touches around the rim. Played a good game. They were tough to keep out of the paint.”

Hamilton was also extremely impressed with Malique’s performance.

“I thought Malique was outstanding,” said Hamilton. “Obviously, he was the guy who I thought stepped up and he made plays that were very challenging for anybody to defend. I thought as a result of his energy and his determination that made the game easier for some of the other guys to make plays defensively.”

Watkins’ 20-point game brought his career total to 1,610 points. He has now made at least one three-pointer in 21 consecutive games, a streak that began on December 14 against Tulane. He also led the Seminoles with five assists and two blocked shots.

In addition, Watkins was nine of 10 from the free throw line and has now made 338 career free throws as a Seminole.  Watkins now ranks 10th in FSU history for most free throws made.

“I think when we’re locked into focus, I don’t think anybody can really stop us,” said Watkins. “When we’re locked in, there aren’t too many teams that can really stay in front of us.”

The game marked a significant milestone for Watkins, as he played in his 125th career game.

On Senior Night, Florida State’s starting lineup featured four seniors, Jason Simpson, Jesse Jones, Jamir Watkins, and Bostyn Holt, alongside junior Malique Ewin.

The first half was competitive with three ties and five lead changes.

Florida State’s Taylor Bol Bowen tied the game at 25-25 with a three-pointer at the 6:11 mark. An 8-point run late in the first half, from the 3:52 mark through the 0:58 mark, gave the Seminoles a 33-32 lead heading into halftime.

Jerry Deng opened the second half with a three-pointer at 19:16, giving Florida State the momentum to maintain its advantage. Deng finished the game with three three-pointers and 11 points overall.

Bol Bowen also contributed from beyond the arc, going two-of-two on three-pointers and finishing with seven points.

For SMU, Boopie Miller led the team with 16 points, followed by Matt Cross, who scored 13 points, keeping the Mustangs competitive throughout the game.

“Coach Hamilton is one of the best coaches in our game of basketball, college basketball,” said Enfield. “Everybody is really appreciative of him as a person. It’s just incredible when you talk about 50 plus years. He is just one of the best,” said Enfield. 

The Seminoles’ victory on Senior Night not only celebrated their veteran players but also highlighted Malique Ewin’s breakout performance and Watkins’ and Coach Hamilton’s’ impressive career milestones.