After picking up a massive road win on Wednesday at No. 20 Clemson, 76-66, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team was looking to avoid a letdown at home on Saturday afternoon against a Florida State team that is better than its 11-13 record indicates going into the game. It was going to be a tough matchup for the Hokies against a team that shoots the 3-ball very well, plays at a high pace, and plays a pressure defense.
Florida State used a 13-0 run in the second half to build an eight-point lead and never looked back in dealing the Hokies a devastating loss in terms of their NCAA Tournament chances. It is a very disappointing result after winning at Clemson, but the signs were there that this could have happened. FSU entered the game winners of four of their last six ACC games and nearly knocked off Virginia earlier in the week. They could close out a late lead, but they certainly did against the Hokies. Here are three observations from a disappointing loss for Mike Young's team.
Another second-half no show
In what was a crucial game for the Hokies, they took a three-point lead, 42-39, into halftime, but were sloppy to begin the second half, and FSU outscored them 24-13, for a 63-55 lead. Give Florida State credit as they knocked down some tough shots, forced Virginia Tech into some tough shots themselves, and turned the Hokies over 10 times, which resulted in 15 points.
It was a total reversal from what happened on Wednesday night at Clemson when they were locked in defensively, moved the ball offensively, and rebounded. The problem with the last part was that they were not getting stops as the Seminoles got what they wanted offensively. It was a brutal performance.
This is not an NCAA Tournament team
This should all but end the Hokies' NCAA Tournament hopes. They are going to need to win at least two of their remaining road games against Miami, North Carolina, and Virginia. Good luck. The inconsistency is something that is going to sink this team.
Sure, the losses at the buzzer and the inabilities to beat Stanford, Wake Forest, and SMU will haunt them, but this one might take the cake. This loss is the low point in a season going the wrong way.
A masterclass in throwing away momentum
If there is one thing Virginia Tech is good at, it's throwing away any momentum they built against Clemson. It isn't the first time they've done it either. The Hokies were outscored, 53-27, in the second half allowed FSU to shoot 78% from the field. They made just nine of their shots in the second half, but a lot of that had to do with the Seminoles' defense, something Tech didn't play well.
All of the momentum they got from Clemson is gone, and honestly, there was very little energy or urgency in the second half for a team that needed a win. They went from a Quad 1 win to a Quad 3 loss in the span of three days. We'll see how they respond on the road at Miami on Tuesday night. It can't get any worse, can it?