Key Takeaways From Virginia 61-58 Win Over Florida State On The Road

Virginia survives a valiant upset bid by Florida State on Tuesday night. It was an uncharacteristic game from Virginia, but their strong bench play made the difference, with 32 points coming from off the bench, providing a spark for the starters who were struggling mightily in Tallahassee. Let’s take a look at some key takeaways from the 61-58 win over the Seminoles.

1. Virginia struggles to slow down Robert McCray V and Lajae Jones, who combine for 41 points

McCray V finished with 20 points on 6-15 shooting and had 13 points on 4-6 shooting in the first half. The Cavaliers did a better job in the second half of the game, forcing him to shoot 2-10 from the field and 1-5 from beyond the arc. McCray V did a lot of his damage from the free-throw line, going 8-10 from the charity stripe. Jones finished with 21 points and finished with 14 points on 4-9 shooting in the first half. He was also limited in the second half with seven points on 2-6 shooting. He did record a double-double and added 13 rebounds. Both made it a long night for the Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

2. Jacari White is finding his form

Jacari White was the scoring punch the Cavaliers needed on Tuesday night. He led the team in scoring with 19 points off the bench. White hit a number of three-point field goals in critical moments of the game to lead the Hoos to the victory. He hit a major three-pointer late in the game with 5:11 to trail just 57-55 and allow them to stay in the game. White went 5-9 from three-point range. It has been the best game from White since he returned from injury and

3. Virginia committed a lot of turnovers

They hit their past average in turnovers with 14 against the Seminoles. The ball pressure and taking away the paint made it a tough out for Virginia on Tuesday night. One of the worst turnovers came late in the game when White tried to pass the ball to Sam Lewis, which resulted in a turnover because he couldn’t corral the pass. When the Cavaliers go back and look at the film, they will be disappointed with all the careless turnovers. Fortunately, the Seminoles only converted those 14 turnovers into 12 points. Virginia will have to clean that up moving forward if they want to continue to be atop the ACC.

4. Three-point shooting saves the Hoos

It was a rough shooting night overall for Virginia, which shot just 38% from the field. However, their three-point shooting was complementary for the Cavaliers as they made 10 threes on Tuesday night. The brunt of the shooting came from White, who made five threes. Virginia has five other scorers who have hit at least one three-pointer. It was more the timely shots that made a difference in the game. 33% shooting isn’t great from beyond the arc, but 10 threes made will keep you in any game.

5. Rebounding played a major factor in the win

Virginia was +10 on the glass vs. the Seminoles, and their rebounding in the second half helped them get back in the game and lock it down. The Hoos had six offensive rebounds that led to seven points. Thijs De Ridder finished with three offensive rebounds, and Virginia had four players with at least two offensive rebounds in the game. Those extra possessions were valuable for the Cavaliers, and their 12 offensive rebounds led to 16 second-chance points, which made the difference in the game. On the defensive glass, they were +9. Despite the struggles, the dominance on the glass helped the Cavaliers hold on for the win and get back into the game.

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