Florida State Erupts After Halftime, Handing Virginia Tech 92-69 Loss

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Florida State overwhelmed Virginia Tech with a dominant second-half surge Saturday, pulling away for a 92-69 win at Cassell Coliseum after trailing at halftime.

The Hokies (17-9, 6-7 ACC) led for most of the first half and briefly to start the second; however, the Seminoles (12-13, 5-7 ACC) flipped the game with relentless paint pressure and elite shot making. Florida State shot 18-for-23 from the field after the break and finished at 61.8 percent overall, turning a tight contest into a 23-point rout.

"Luke [Loucks] and the Seminoles, they outplayed us," said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. "... Bad day for the Hokies."

Virginia Tech looked sharp for much of the first 20 minutes. The Hokies shot 50 percent from the field behind a balanced scoring effort. Guard Ben Hammond stayed hot, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including three makes from behind the arc. Hammond finished the game with 16 points, tied for the team lead with Tobi Lawal.

Tech led 42-39 at the break and kept its lead for the first few minutes of the second half; however, once the Seminoles took the lead, they did not look back.

Florida State's offensive success began in the paint. The Seminoles effectively used screens, forced switches and repeatedly got downhill. Once the Hokies' defense keyed in inside, Florida State passed it out to one of its shooters for a clean look from deep.

"We wanted to attack the paint, first and foremost," said Florida State head coach Luke Loucks. "If it's one-on-one, you got to go finish like a grown man, or get to the free-throw line by creating contact and attacking. If the help comes, you just make the simple play, and usually that results in an open shot."

Those simple plays piled up. Florida State shot 78.3 percent in the second half. Martin Somerville, who was just 3-for-25 in his last four games, was unstoppable against the Hokies. The sophomore guard shot 9-for-11, tying a career high in points with 23.

"When [Somerville] gets it going, it's hard to stop," Loucks remarked.

It wasn't just Somerville who had the hot hand tonight; it was most of Florida State. Chauncey Wiggins scored 19, missing just one field goal attempt. Lajae Jones and Robert McCray V both added 17.

"They found some matchups that they liked and they exploited those," Young said. "The ball can't get downhill as well as it did."

Defensively, the Seminoles sharpened up in the second half. Virginia Tech went just 9-for-25 in the final 20 minutes. Florida State mixed coverages, showing press, brief zone looks and frequent switching. The variation slowed Virginia Tech's offensive flow. After shooting very well in the first half, the Hokies scored just 27 points in the second half.

Florida State was successful in limiting Amani Hansberry's offensive output. Hansberry shot 2-for-10 from the field, while turning the ball over four times.

"If you can limit [Hansberry's] touches, it's going to be good for you," Loucks said. "Once he touches the ball, we can't allow him a straight line drive to the rim."

The decisive stretch came midway through the second half. What was a 57-51 Florida State lead with just under 13 minutes left to play, quickly ballooned into double digits. By the 11 minute mark, the Seminoles were up 10. With five minutes left in the game, Wiggins made a jumper to make it a 80-60 margin.

Loucks called it his team's most complete performances of the season.

"Our defense is what allowed that to happen," Loucks said. "When you get stops and rebounds, it's much easier to play with pace."

For Virginia Tech, the result was especially frustrating, given the context. The Hokies entered the game coming off a strong 76-66 road win at No. 20 Clemson and understood the importance of this game against Florida State.

There won't be much time to sit with this one. Virginia Tech hits the road for a quick turnaround, traveling to Miami for a Tuesday night matchup. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, with the game airing on the ACC Network.

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