Virginia Overcomes Cold Shooting to Beat Florida State 62-57

Despite playing their worst offensive game of the season, the Cavaliers averted FSU's upset bid to win their 15th-consecutive ACC opener

Florida State's performance in a close loss to No. 5 Purdue on Wednesday sent a clear message that the Seminoles ought not to be underestimated. The Cavaliers shouldn't have needed that reminder in the first place, given these two teams' recent history of tight games no matter their records, including their most recent meeting when Florida State beat Virginia on a buzzer-beater last season. 

Sure enough, this game between one-win FSU and undefeated and No. 3-ranked UVA came down to the wire thanks to the Cavaliers delivering their worst offensive outing of the season. Despite shooting just 35% from the floor and letting the Seminoles back into the game in the final minutes, Virginia made just enough plays to avert Florida State's upset bid and win 62-57 in the ACC opener on Saturday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena. 

It was a cold-shooting day for both teams right from the opening tip, as both the Seminoles and the Cavaliers alternated lengthy scoring droughts through the first half. Florida State switching all ball screens at every position bothered Virginia's offense, which struggled to generate open looks and settled for poor shot quality.

Even the open shots weren't falling for the Cavaliers, who made just six shots in the first half, shooting 23.1% from the field. The Cavaliers had seven offensive rebounds in the first half, but scored only two second-chance points as the length and athleticism of the Seminoles bothered UVA, forcing missed shots even from close range. Fortunately for the Hoos, Florida State was only a little bit better on the offensive end, shooting 25% from the floor. FSU went on an 8-0 run to grab a four-point lead late in the half, but Isaac McKneely knocked down a three-pointer off a nice feed from Reece Beekman to make it 22-21 at the half. 

Halftime adjustments have been critical for the Cavaliers this season, as Tony Bennett has been able to push just the right buttons to allow Virginia to start the second half strong. That trend continued on Saturday, as UVA opened the half on a 13-5 run over the first three and a half minutes to regain the lead. At one point, Virginia scored five points on one possession as Armaan Franklin drained a corner three just as Kadin Shedrick, who has been a punching bag over the last couple of games, took another elbow under the basket, this one coming to the neck from Naheem McLeod, who was assessed a flagrant one foul. 

Virginia spread the floor in the second half and had better ball movement, opening up lanes for Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman. The Cavaliers were more aggressive in driving to the basket, as they have made a living at the free throw line this season. UVA attempted 18 free throws in the second half, making 15 of them, as compared to just four total free throws for FSU in the second half. Virginia shot 26 free throws in the game, while Florida State shot only nine. 

Kihei Clark scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the second half and also knocked down nine of his ten free throw attempts. Just past the midway point of the second half, Clark broke his defender's ankles and then passed to a wide open Ben Vander Plas, who pump faked and knocked down the three-pointer to give Virginia a ten-point lead. 

All credit goes to the Seminoles for not rolling over at that point, as they responded with a couple of threes to keep the game within striking distance. Virginia led by as many as 12 points with just over four minutes left, but FSU continued to hit shots to prevent the Cavaliers from fully putting the game away. Darin Green led the Seminoles with 17 points and Matthew Cleveland notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

UVA committed a couple of sloppy turnovers and missed a few free throws down the stretch, allowing Florida State to maintain a glimmer of hope. That continued in the game's final moments, as Caleb Mills hit a wild shot off the glass plus a foul on Beekman to cut the deficit to just three points with 7.6 seconds left. UVA was able to get the ball in-bounds and Beekman made both of his free throws to finally seal the deal. 

When the Cavaliers lost to the Seminoles on Matthew Cleveland's buzzer-beater back in February, it was the culmination of similar scenario in which UVA let FSU stay in the game late. To see Virginia finish the job this time around is another sign of the strides this team has made from last year. This game was far from UVA's best performance - in fact, it was actually by far the worst offensive showing of the season for the Cavaliers. However, it is a mark of a good team to find a way to win even when the shots aren't falling. 

Those who will point to Florida State's now 1-9 record to discredit this victory for Virginia should also look at how No. 5 Purdue struggled to defeat this same team just a few days ago. The Seminoles are a much better team than their record suggests and they will be causing problems for ACC teams for the rest of the season. 

After starting the season with three-straight games scoring less than 10 points, Jayden Gardner has now scored in double figures in each of his last four outings. The fifth-year forward filled the stat sheet with 10 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Armaan Franklin hit two of his four three-point attempts and finished with nine points and Reece Beekman, although slightly hobbled by the ankle injury he suffered at Michigan, recorded seven points, five assists, four rebounds and a block. 

The victory extended Virginia's win-streak in ACC openers to 15-straight and the Cavaliers have still never lost their first ACC game in 14 seasons under Tony Bennett. Now 7-0 on the season, Virginia hosts JMU in an in-state non-conference matchup on Tuesday at 8pm. 

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