Virginia Hangs on for 80-76 Victory at Florida State, Wins Eighth Straight
It was far from easy, but Virginia's winning streak survived the perilous trip to Tallahassee. Despite being called for 23 fouls and sending their opponent to the free throw line 33 times, the Cavaliers found a way to win on the road for the fourth-straight Saturday. Behind a career-high 29 points from Isaac McKneely and 21 more from Reece Beekman, Virginia (19-5, 10-3 ACC) repelled several comeback attempts from Florida State (13-10, 7-5 ACC) and escaped with an 80-76 victory on Saturday night in Tallahassee.
After seeing a three-pointer wiped away by a shot clock violation on Virginia's first possession of the game, Andrew Rohde got the Cavaliers on the board with a three from the right wing. The three-point line was kind to UVA in the first half, knocking down four of 10 three-point attempts.
Naturally, Isaac McKneely had a big hand in that outcome. First, McKneely was fouled on a three-pointer and made all three free throws and then he followed that up with a triple from the left wing. Taine Murray got in on the action with a three, capping a 9-0 Virginia run. McKneely added another three, punishing the Seminoles for giving him too much room to give the Cavaliers their largest lead at 24-14 midway through the first half.
After Virginia had largely contained Florida State's offense, and in particular its opportunities in the paint, for the first several minutes of the game, Jordan Minor and Ryan Dunn both picked up two personal fouls and exited the game, leaving the Cavaliers without their top front court defenders for the final eight minutes of the half. Florida State worked back into the game from there, scrapping to get back within two points at 28-26. Reece Beekman answered with a couple of layups and Dante Harris set up Blake Buchanan for a two-handed slam dunk, but UVA still held just a four-point lead at 34-30 at halftime.
McKneely had 13 points to lead all scorers at the half, while Beekman had eight points. Florida State shot 50% from the floor and made 10/11 free throws, but was 0/5 from beyond the arc, so Virginia's four three-pointers were the difference in the first half.
Just as he did in the first half, Andrew Rohde opened the second half with a three-pointer, as Dunn touched the paint and kicked out to Rohde for a corner three. The second half also mirrored the first half in terms of Virginia's foul trouble, as both Minor and Dunn picked up their third personal fouls and checked out of the game in the first two minutes of the second half.
Baba Miller drilled a three-pointer, Florida State's first of the game, but UVA responded right away as Isaac McKneely found a cutting Groves for a layup and then knocked down a corner three off of a pass from Beekman to push the Virginia lead back to 10 points.
Then came Florida State's most dangerous run of the game, as the Seminoles scored nine-straight points in just 82 seconds of game time, capped by back-to-back baskets by Chandler Jackson.
Jake Groves confidently swished a contested corner three after that, a big-time bucket that stemmed the tide. Reece Beekman followed that up with an and-one and McKneely splashed a three-pointer from well beyond the arc, restoring Virginia's lead to 10 points. A Blake Buchanan putback putback made the lead 12 points with four minutes to go, but the Seminoles weren't done yet. Florida State worked back into the game and a pair of free throws from Jalen Warley made it a four-point game again with a little over a minute to go.
Isaac McKneely proved he had another big shot in the tank, pulling up from the left wing and swishing his fifth three of the game. That shot should've been the dagger, as it gave Virginia a 75-68 lead with 56 seconds remaining. But UVA's foul trouble and season-long struggles from the free throw line flared up again. Reece Beekman missed two free throws, Darin Green Jr. scored an and-one on an offensive rebound, and then Ryan Dunn fouled Tom House on a three-pointer with four seconds left, giving House a chance to make it a one-point game.
But the Cavaliers caught a break, as House missed the first, made the second, and then McKneely secured the rebound as House intentionally missed the third, allowing Virginia to escape the Tucker Center with a nail-biter of a victory.
Isaac McKneely and Reece Beekman willed the Cavaliers to the win, with McKneely setting a career-high with 29 points on 8/12 shooting, including 5/7 from beyond the arc and 8/9 from the free throw line, and Beekman posting 21 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Jake Groves joined them in double figures with 10 points and Andrew Rohde had eight points and four assists.
Virginia knocked down ten threes on 55.6% shooting and the Cavaliers needed every one of them in order to overcome being called for 23 fouls and sending the Seminoles to the line 33 times, where they converted 26 times.
The victory extends UVA's winning streak to eight games and allows the Cavaliers to maintain their position at second place in the ACC standings at 10-3. Up next, Virginia returns home to host Pittsburgh on Tuesday at John Paul Jones Arena. Tipoff is set for 7pm on the ACC Network.
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