Inspired Performance From Seth Allen Propels Hokies To 83-73 Victory Over Florida State

His face covered in blood following a nasty second half collision with Florida State's Boris Bojanovsky, Seth Allen sat in the locker room for what felt like an eternity. He frantically urged the medical staff to work faster, desperate to get back on the floor for what had suddenly become a tight game.

"The whole time I was in here I was yelling at them to hurry up," joked Allen.

Evidently, the doctors listened.

Allen, bandage and all, returned from his brief hiatus at the 4:44 mark, and the Maryland transfer scored six of his game-high 23 points over the game's final five minutes to lead the Hokies to a 83-73 victory over Florida State at a sold-out Cassell Coliseum.

"Seth Allen just put on a superman outfit and willed them to victory," said Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton.

It was without question Allen's signature moment in Blacksburg to date, a brilliant display of toughness paired with an efficient 23 points that required just 11 shot attempts from the field. Perhaps most impressively, Allen did so without committing a single turnover, notable for the Hokies' runaway leader in the category.

"I think Seth's a really good player, I've always thought that," said Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams. "I think when he plays with a tight handle, with a mindset to create for others, and doesn't over-dribble, it leads to low turnovers and it leads to a high-percentage shot either for him or for our team."

Fellow point guard Justin Robinson pitched in 13 points to the cause, none bigger than back-to-back corner threes with under four minutes remaining that seemed to be the nail in the Seminoles' coffin.

"I think five (Robinson) has little man syndrome, but he's a lot smarter than people give him credit for," said Williams. "I think he's incredibly competitive. I think most guys that have little man syndrome have an edge about them. Sometimes it's a negative edge. (But) he's built in a very positive way. He's a beautiful kid...Five (Robinson) just isn't gonna back into anything. He's gonna run towards it. Those were big shots that he made."

Jalen Hudson and Justin Bibbs both finished in double digits as well, each drilling a pair of triples that extended the Noles defense over the game's final twenty minutes. It wasn't all good news for the Hokies, though, as freshman wing Chris Clarke suffered a sprained left ankle early in the first half that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the game.

"It's just part of being hurt. You tear up your right knee, odds are you're gonna hurt your left leg. He tore up his right foot and hurt his left leg," said Williams, referencing the the right foot injury that Clarke suffered in late December.

The Hokies had a nightmarish time trying to defend the Noles' dynamic freshman duo of Dwayne Bacon and Malik Beasley, two highly-recruited wings who have led Florida State in scoring in their first year in Tallahassee. Bacon — not known for his sharpshooting abilities — rattled off a flurry of three-pointers in the first half, leaving a bewildered Williams scratching his head on the Hokies' sideline.

"They're so talented," said Williams. "We were trying multiple things in the full court and the half court. We were trying multiple ball screen coverages. We were trying to do multiple things within our zone. Four (Bacon) comes in today in conference play shooting nineteen percent, and makes 5 threes. More than he's made in their previous 14 games. They had more threes made than we had free throws made at halftime. Just think they're ultra-talented. And I think that if you give any good player a steady diet of the same thing, they find a way to hurt you."

The Seminoles jumped on the Hokies early and led for 19 minutes of the first half largely thanks to 16 points from the aforementioned Bacon. Tech limped into the break trailing 45-37, a remarkably high-scoring affair considering the Hokies' recent struggles on the offensive end.

The Hokies repeatedly crept within striking distance early in the second half, but the Noles always seemed to have an answer, a back-breaking three-pointer or an uncontested dunk right at their fingertips. But the Hokies continued to fight, a hallmark of this team that makes it as lovable as their quirky coach. A Jalen Hudson triple cut the Florida State lead to just three with 7:34 to play, and a Devin Wilson layup shrunk the Noles' lead to one with just over six minutes remaining. Allen returned at the 4:44 mark — he missed just over five minutes of game time — and immediately went coast-to-coast for a layup that gave the Hokies a 67-66 lead. Allen's backcourt mate Justin Robinson proceeded to score the Hokies' next eight points, the latter six courtesy of a pair of uncontested corner threes against the Noles' zone. Following two free throws from Bibbs, Allen knocked down his fourth triple of the afternoon to give the Hokies a nine-point advantage with just over a minute to play. Florida State came up empty on the next two possessions, and a pair of Robinson free throws with 27 seconds left sealed the deal for the Hokies.

In the locker room postgame, the Hokies celebrated yet another victory with cake, a tradition of Tech's program that Williams explained has profound meaning for his team. It's a long story, Williams said, far too long to explain in a single press conference. But the gist of it?

"Don't want to cry," said Williams before pausing for nearly 30 seconds.

"Win a battle, take a bite. Win a battle, take a bite."

Here's betting today's bite tasted sweeter than ever.