Florida State Basketball: 3 takeaways from blowout win over No. 7 Virginia
In the biggest game of the ACC regular season, 16th-ranked Florida State Basketball put the college basketball world on notice, decimating the 7th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers from wire-to-wire in an 81-60 rout on Monday night.
Just their second game back from a two-week pause, the Seminoles showed a bit of rust in the opening minutes, allowing Virginia to get out to a quick 6-2 lead behind two three-pointers – but quickly hit the gas, embarking on a 34-10 run over the ensuing 12 minutes to take a 20-point lead with five minutes remaining in the first half.
It was not all necessarily Florida State for the full 40 minutes, as the Cavaliers – facing a 20-point halftime deficit – went on a 16-3 run to begin the second stanza, cutting the Seminoles’ lead to just seven, 48-41, with 14 minutes remaining. The Seminoles responded ferociously, however, holding Virginia to just two points over the next six minutes while extending their lead to as large as 25 – before running away with the 81-60 victory.
For Virginia, this was a greatly concerning showing for a team that was projected to be on the 2-seed line in several bracketology projections. The Cavaliers now own losses to the three toughest opponents on their schedule – Gonzaga, Virginia Tech, and Florida State – by an average margin of 19.3 points.
The Cavaliers struggled to get much of anything going against Florida State’s stout defense, seeing four players reach double-digits with Trey Murphy III leading the way behind 13 points. The Seminoles generated 13 turnovers, scoring 21 points off of Virginia’s miscues. Additionally, Florida State – a team that, entering this game, allowed ACC teams to attempt over 20 free-throws per game – saw Virginia just take 12 freebies, with zero trips in the first half.
Florida State saw their offense spearheaded by the two-man tandem of M.J. Walker and RaiQuan Gray. Walker recorded game-highs in points (17) and rebounds (6), draining five three-pointers in the process. Star freshman Scottie Barnes dished out a game-high six assists, while Balsa Koprivica – who missed FSU’s last game with Wake Forest – was stellar in his return, tallying nine points.
In their dismantling of Virginia, the Seminoles looked like a team that could coast to the Final Four – and ultimately have a shot at the national title. Obviously, making that call after one dominating performance might be a bit too rash – but there are decidedly some significant positive takeaways for Florida State moving forward.