Virginia upset again in Charlotte, lose to Florida State to miss ACC title game
If you needed an apt metaphor for the ACC Tournament’s first major upset, Mfiondu Kabengele was happy to oblige.
With less than five minutes left in No. 4 seed Florida State’s eventual 69-59 win over No. 1 seed Virginia in the tournament semifinals, the Cavaliers desperately needed a basket. Trailing by 11, Virginia’s Jay Huff drove straight at Kabengele...
And had his layup attempt absolutely swallowed.
It was a display of sheer physicality, the sort that Virginia was unable to muster against an incredibly long Seminoles group. Virginia shot just 18 percent from 3-point range in the first half, visibly rattled by Florida State’s size. Virginia, ranked second nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency, simply ran into an old schoolyard problem: a bigger, stronger opponent, no matter their skill.
Add Florida State’s hustle — they outrebounded Virginia 35-20 by game’s end, including nine offensive rebounds — and Virginia was just unable to muster a comeback in the final few minutes.
So for the second season in a row, the Cavaliers will leave the Queen City with heads hung, and trophy-less. Last year, top-seeded Virginia lost to No. 16 seed UMBC in its first NCAA Tournament game, also in Charlotte’s Spectrum Center.
Three who mattered
Kyle Guy: With fellow All-ACC guard Ty Jerome struggling for the second straight game, Guy had to carry the scoring load for the Cavaliers — but he also struggled, pouring in just 11 the night after dropping 29.
Christ Koumadje: The Seminoles’ 7-foot-4 big man had a number of nice alley-oops, and ultimately finished with nine points and nine rebounds).
David Nichols: The reserve guard for Florida State, averaging just 6.3 points per game, made tough shots late when it mattered most, and ended up leading the Seminoles with 14 points.
Observations
▪ Florida State had more shots, rebounds and assists than Virginia in the first half, and yet only led 35-31 at the half because of a nearly three-minute scoreless streak right before intermission.
▪ For the second game in a row, Virginia guard Ty Jerome (13.1 points per game) didn’t score until midway through the second half. He made his fifth 3-point try after not making a single 3 against N.C. State in the quarterfinals.
▪ Florida State went on an 11-1 run late in the second half to go up 60-49, and although the Cavaliers were more aggressive thereafter, that stretch proved insurmountable for Virginia.
Worth mentioning
▪ Guy wore two separate shoes during Virginia’s quarterfinal win over N.C. State, in which he scored 29 points. After that game, he jokingly said he’d done it because he couldn’t afford a pair of LeBron 16s, so he made his own. Guy wore the mismatched pair again Friday.
▪ Gov. Roy Cooper, a North Carolina alum, was in the building Friday to watch his alma mater take on Duke.
▪ North Carolina assistant coaches Steve Robinson and Brad Federick, a seat over from Duke assistants Jon Scheyer and Chris Carrawell, were all scouting the Virginia-Florida State game in advance of Saturday’s conference championship game.
They said it
“They punked us. They got us on the glass. They got us in the lane. They just picked us apart.” - Virginia forward Jack Salt.
“Sometimes the shots just don’t go in.” – Jerome.
This story was originally published March 15, 2019 at 9:18 PM.
