One of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the nation picked the most opportune time to heat up from the outside.
And with every made basket and empty possession on the other end of the floor, the heartbreaking reality started to slowly set in for the Florida State men's basketball team.
The Seminoles, often hampered by their own miscues like poor shooting from 3-point range and the free-throw line, had no answer for Xavier's red-hot performance on Saturday night in Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
No. 3-seeded Florida State fell, 91-66, to No. 11 Xavier, which made 11 of 16 3-pointers and claimed a 25-point lead in the final minutes, hitting a sour note to close one of the best FSU seasons in school history.
The Seminoles hoped to reach their second Sweet 16 under Leonard Hamilton's leadership and fifth in school history
Instead, the loss ends Florida State's first run in the NCAA Tournament in five years after just two games in the round of 32.
The Seminoles are now forced to find their way through a clouded future before next season.
Sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon and freshman forward Jonathan Isaac may have played their final games in FSU uniforms. Both players could decide to enter the NBA draft to pursue professional careers, with Isaac likely to be selected as a top-10 pick in June.
Third-year point guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes could also decide to pursue a professional career instead of returning as a senior, while centers Michael Ojo and Jarquez Smith finish their college careers just two games into their first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Xavier _ which entered the game shooting 34.2 percent from 3-point range, good for 221st in the nation _ fired 64.7 percent from long range and 55.6 percent overall in the game.
FSU, meanwhile, shot 6 of 33 from 3-point range during its two NCAA Tournament games.
The Musketeers were led Saturday by Trevon Bluiett, who torched the Seminoles with 29 points.
FSU, on the other hand, struggled mightily to keep pace against Xavier's zone defense, which clogged the lanes and forced the Seminoles to scramble during nearly every possession.
Bacon, FSU's leading scorer in his first two seasons with the team, tried to help the Seminoles keep pace with 20 points and five rebounds.
Rathan-Mayes, who earned All-ACC defensive team honors, fueled FSU's offense with downhill drives to the basket, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Isaac, a 6-10 forward who garnered comparisons to Kevin Durant before even playing his first college game, fouled out in the final two minutes after recording eight points and 12 rebounds.
But a 25-point loss was not the way Florida State imagined its season ending by any means.
Xavier moves on to the Sweet 16 in the West Region in San Jose, Calif.
FSU fell one game shy of tying a school record with 27 victories, the same mark the Seminoles' 1971-72 team had before losing to John Wooden's UCLA Bruins in the national championship game.
The Seminoles' starting lineup could see four new starters next season behind crafty forward Terance Mann, who will be expected to take on a greater leadership role as a junior.
Freshman guards C.J. Walker and Trent Forrest, junior college transfer forward Braian Angola-Rodas and 7-foot-4 center Christ Koumadje will also be expected to build on the success the Seminoles saw on the court in 2017.
