Florida State gained its first ACC road win of the season in Blacksburg on Saturday, as it defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies by a score of 91-82.
The first half was a back-and-forth contest, as each team went on short runs while battling for momentum. Florida State (14-5, 3-4 ACC) took the lead with about 10 minutes left in the half due to 3-point shooting. The Seminoles broke their current trend and began to hit deep shots at a good clip, making 46 percent of their attempts. Guard C.J. Walker led the way with 3-for-6 shooting and subsequently led all scorers with nine points at half. The Seminoles took a 41-38 advantage to the locker room.
Florida State maintained a decent lead for most of the second half. It put a lot of pressure on Virginia Tech (13-6, 2-4 ACC) at halfcourt, and the Hokies struggled at getting into an offensive rhythm once that happened. Florida State took advantage of the frustration and gave the ball to its playmakers on offense.
Good shooting by the guards and strong frontcourt play from Mfiondu Kabengele and Christ Koumadje gave the Seminoles a nice 10-point cushion for most of the half. The Hokies made a late push in the final four minutes but were unable to complete the comeback.
The Seminoles did a fantastic job of distributing the ball without forcing it; five different players scored at least 10 points on Saturday. M.J. Walker exploded in the second half and finished with 24 points and six rebounds. Kabengele had a team-high eight rebounds and C.J. Walker facilitated seven assists.
Virginia Tech’s scoring was concentrated on three players: Justin Bibbs, Justin Robinson, and Chris Clarke. Those three combined for 58 points on the afternoon. While Virginia Tech had an encouraging 36 points in the paint, it shot a sub-par 34 percent from 3-point range. The Hokies’ free throw shooting was also an abysmal 8-for-15.
Florida State had a clear 37-25 advantage in rebounds and a 36-17 lead in bench points. The Seminoles also more than doubled Virginia Tech’s points off turnovers (20 to 8). Both teams shot very well and finished at 53 percent from the floor.
Florida State returns to Tallahassee for a Wednesday night game against Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech will host North Carolina on Monday night.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login