Clinical Offensive Performance Lifts Hokies to 96-85 Victory Over Florida State

It lasted into the wee hours of Thursday morning, and 53 fouls sure didn't make it pretty, but don't let the semantics fool you. Virginia Tech thoroughly dominated Wednesday's ACC tournament nightcap from the opening tip, out-hustling, out-toughing and out-playing Florida State en route to a convincing 96-85 victory at the Verizon Center.

"62% of our minutes have been played by guys that didn't have a uniform last year," said Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams. "You can say that's why we got beat by Alabama State, but I think there's been a crescendo to how we play...They know what our character is. They know what our recipe is."

That recipe blossomed into a sixth-consecutive win Wednesday evening, the latest a wire-to-wire victory that saw Tech shoot a blistering 60% from the field in the first half. The Hokies naturally cooled off a tad in the second, but Tech's clinical offensive display ultimately proved too much to handle for a helpless Seminoles' defense.

"I thought our ball movement was outstanding," said Williams. "We had multiple paint touches on I think all but four possessions when we scored."

Seth Allen led the way for the Hokies with a game-high 20 points on just 9 attempts from the field. Fellow southpaw Justin Robinson continued his offensive tear with 18 points of his own, teaming up with Allen to create a dynamic backcourt duo that the Noles simply couldn't contain.

"We had no answer for their quickness and speed," said Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton. "We just got beat by a team that played much better than we did tonight."

Zach LeDay was equally impressive on the interior with 15 points and 12 rebounds, his gutty performance leaving ESPN television commentator Jay Bilas gushing over the South Florida transfer throughout the evening. Justin Bibbs once again paced the Hokies from the outside with four three-pointers, each seemingly coming at the most opportune time to stave off any threat of a Florida State run.

It was without question a pro-Hokies crowd at the Verizon Center, one that helped jump-start Tech to a 5-0 run before fans even got settled into their plush blue seats. The Seminoles weathered Tech's early storm nicely, clawing back to just a 3-point deficit eight minutes in before a pair of buckets from Kerry Blackshear and Chris Clarke extended the Hokies' lead back near double-digits. The Hokies' offensive onslaught only continued from there with six quick points from LeDay and Allen that forced Hamilton into using his second timeout with 7:39 to play. Florida State responded once again, though, rattling off a 6-0 run that pulled them back within five. But the Hokies' ultra-balanced scoring continued throughout the first half and helped maintain a comfortable Tech margin until a Devon Bookert buzzer-beater from well beyond the three-point arc sent the Noles into the break down just seven.

But for as beautiful and free-flowing as the first half of basketball was, the second half was the polar opposite. Each team entered 1-and-1 territory just minutes into the half, and much of the latter portion of the game resembled more of a free throw contest than an actual basketball game. The Hokies certainly didn't mind, though — Allen and Robinson went a combined 19 of 22 from the line — but any semblance of flow was tossed out the window early on.

But despite a half that was largely focused on whistles, the Hokies never lost control. The Seminoles cut the lead to five just once, but Blackshear immediately drained his fourth three of the season to push the Tech lead back to eight with 12 minutes to play. Tech cruised from there on out, repeatedly converting fouls into free throws as they coasted to an 11-point victory in their ACC Tournament opener.

The third-seeded Miami Hurricanes await the Hokies on Thursday evening, well-rested and certainly not lacking motivation after being dealt a 15-point loss in Blacksburg less than a week ago. Potent sixth-man Ja'Quan Newton will suit up for the Canes after missing Saturday's matchup due to a team suspension, and Williams knows the presence of Newton will pose even greater problems for his team.

"He's a really good player. He shredded us last year," said Williams. "If you're a double-figure (scoring) guy off the bench, you're a really good player."

And after being five-point dogs against a lower-seeded Florida State team — it seems Vegas may have missed the mark on that one — the Hokies will no doubt be pups once more as they take on an experienced Miami squad in Thursday's nightcap. But the Hokies, fully embracing their underdog status, wouldn't have it any other way.

"We know basically going into every game that they're gonna say we're gonna lose. We're used to that," said LeDay. "We just wanna come out and prove everybody wrong."