Florida State Falls to Virginia in 59-55 Defensive Struggle

Florida State basketball fought until the end, but it was unable to stave off the surging No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers, who won 59-55 in a tight contest at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Wednesday night. It was an intense game to watch, and we’ve got observations from one of the better match-ups of the season.

Observations

• You couldn’t ask for a better start from the Seminoles when it came to 3-point shooting as they went 4-for-5 at the beginning of the game. It’s absolutely essential to beating the Virginia zone defense.
• Ike Obiagu looked like a new player on offense in the first half. He was very aggressive down low and battled for rebounds/points on every possession. It rubbed off on his teammates, who forced fouls by the Virginia defense when they attacked the rim.
• Virginia hit a serious rough patch late in the first half. Florida State was hitting difficult shots and the Cavaliers could not force turnovers. It led to a tired Virginia offense that struggled to keep up. With under four minutes left, Florida State held a 29-20 lead.
• A lot changed after the 5-minute mark. Mainly, both teams began to play sloppy basketball and commit violations. There was a bit of everything, including travels, charges, double dribbles, and more. For about two minutes there were no shots attempted.
• Florida State’s defense did a great job of closing out on Virginia and preventing any open shots. There was rarely a moment when the Cavaliers looked like they had prime opportunities to score. It ultimately led to a 32-22 Florida State lead at halftime, with Virginia shooting just 35 percent.
• Games against Virginia are unusual because they go by in a flash and there’s rarely many breaks in between possessions. This one was no different, as time seemingly sapped away when both teams methodically moved the ball around the perimeter.
• Florida State tasted some of its own medicine as Virginia began to get hot from behind the arc. The Cavaliers nailed three straight attempts and all of the sudden they had a small lead in no time.
• Virginia’s defense stiffened up in the middle as the game went on. Florida State didn’t feel comfortable going into the paint, and it showed with difficult attempts that were not hitting at the same rate as the first half.
• Two separate times, the Seminoles’ offense was forced into a scoring drought where they did not make a field goal for over five minutes. That’s what Virginia does, but it’s also part of a general trend where FSU can’t remain consistent on offense. FSU’s main scorers don’t just start missing, they stop shooting.
• The Cavaliers had their patented offensive lopsidedness. Their three main scorers (Devon Hall, Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome) had more points themselves than their teammates did combined.
• In the end, Florida State could not muster enough firepower to counter the nation-leading Cavalier defense. A lot of times you can point to one or two very specific factors that ultimately lead to losses. Not so Wednesday night. Virginia is simply a great team who has the ability to win a national championship with one of the best defenses college basketball has ever seen.

Notable Numbers

Devon Hall (UVA): 17 points (5-for-11), 3 rebounds, 3 assists

M.J. Walker (FSU): 10 points (3-for-7), 2 assists, 1 block

Ty Jerome (UVA): 15 points (7-for-15), 5 rebounds, 2 assists