Back with our normal starting lineup for the first time in about a week.
February 11, 2024
#6 Virginia Tech (15-5, 5-3 ACC) at #21 Florida State (16-5, 3-5 ACC)
TEAM: FSU|VT
OVR: 92|94
OFF: 92|94
DEF: 91|91
SHT: 93|95
REB: 92|95
COA: 91|84
Re-reading the post on the first game against the hokies (a 72-63 loss at their place), I see McCants had a great game, Mayer and Day struggled to score when they attacked the rim, getting blocked/shut down instead of scoring or drawing fouls. We also missed 10 free throws which won't happen again. My confidence is suffering a bit after our last two poor showings but this is definitely a game we can pull off at home.
In the first meeting PG Richard was by far the biggest threat with 25 points and 9-12 shooting. SF Plummer scored a lot too but took a ton of shots. We'll see what we can do better today.
Scouting
PG Darren Richard – JR – 87 OVR – first year starter – 95 speed/92 quickness. 88 defense/79 steals. A great PG with 90 handling/93 passing. 82 close/82 med/86 3/89 off the dribble/83in traffic. Only an average athlete, but he can score from anywhere and can create his own shot. 7.5 ppg/4.0 apg.
SG Patrick Cuffee – FR – 82 OVR – 90 speed/87 quickness. 92 defense/76 steals. 84 close/84 med/69 3/84 off the dribble. An incredible defender, and a true freshman averaging almost 10 points/game (9.7). Cuffee was the #9 recruit last year and a very good talent. He lacks defensive awareness so we'll have to see hwo the poor awareness but great on ball defense jive.
SF Reece Plummer – JR – 85 OVR – 6'7” SF – 87 speed/83 quickness. 88 close/84 med/72 3/84 in traffic. A good defender, 82 defense/71 steals. He's a very good rebounder for a SF, not much in the post. Just 6.6 ppg.
PF Garry Sherman – JR – 84 OVR – first year starter, 6'8” PF – 90 orb/80 drb. 88 post off/75 post def. 81 blocks. 90 close/87 in traffic. A good leaper(78, great dunker too). Average strength. 86 off awareness/77 def awareness, not enough experience to be a coach on the floor yet, he will be next time we see them though. 10.1 ppg/3.7 rpg.
C Tommie Graves – SR- 88 OVR – 6'10” C – 92 orb/83 drb. 90 post off/92 post def. 76 blocks (B-), 74 steals(A- for a C). 93 close/88 in traffic. Great athleticism for a guy his size, 81str. Coach on the floor, 84 off awaeness/79 def awareness. He's scoring 13.9 ppg and pulling in 6.5 rebounds. Those post ratings and offensive are monstrous.
Backup PG Jesse Lavender is a brilliant 85 OVR as a freshman, scoring 6/game off the bench. Backup SF Cameron Aguko is rated 84 OVR and scores 14.5/game, leading the team.
Half
| Time
| FSU
| VT
| Notes
|
1
| 15:15
| 16
| 6
| Well this is certainly a nice start. We actually start off 13-2 before they get a couple shots to fall in a row. McCants has 8 inside already, Mayer has 6, Millar 2. The disturbing trend of missing free throws vs Virginia Tech continues, as we've already missed 3, but on two of them got offensive boards and putbacks so its all ok so far. Timeout Va Tech.
Fouls are a serious problem early for the Hokies. They committed 3 in the first minute and have 5 total now. PF Sherman and SF Plummer are both out for the half with 2 fouls.
|
1
| 12:15
| 23
| 12
| In our first game against the Hokies, the score was 27-26 Va Tech at the half. Looks like we should surpass that before the 10 minute mark today. Another Hokie timeout, and the backups are in. THIS is the perfect mix of Mayer and McCants today, if I could get them going like this every game we sure wouldn't be 3-5 in the ACC. Mayer is 4-4, just 3-7 at the line, 11 points. McCants has 10 points/7 boards already! 4-6 shooting, 2-2 at the line.
Backups are in, now to see if they can hold this lead.
|
1
| 7:15
| 35
| 24
| It was as close as 25-19 as Virginia Tech started off strong against the backups, but Dearman runs off 5 straight(2 straight 3 point plays, missed one of the FT's) and Modica just hit a 3 to put us back up 11, Hokies take their 3rd timeout.
|
1
| 6:15
| 38
| 28
| Porter hits a 3, they score twice in a row to cut it to 10, and I get my starters back in with my first timeout.
|
| HALF
| 54
| 41
| The offense is firing on all cylinders today. Mayer hit a 3 apparently just after time expired or it could have been an even bigger lead. Fouls are the story of the game. Va Tech committed 13 in the first half, getting 2 fouls on 4 of their starters by the time it was all done. Richard and Graves played 14 and 16 minutes, the other starters all picked up fast fouls. Graves has 8, backup SG Bowen has 12 and has carried them with the starers in such foul trouble.
We shoot 19-28, 3-5 from 3, 13-19 from the line. Mayer leads us with 16, he's 6-7 from the field but has missed 5 free throws(4-9). McCants has a double double, 14 points/10 boards. McClurkin, Porter, Dearman all have 5.
We did this to Clemson for a half before an epic failure in the final few minutes of the game, so there's no goofing around or letting up here.
|
2
| 18:45
| 54
| 47
| Timeout FSU as they open the half with two straight threes. Mayer just missed an almost totally open layup in transition. Don't give this lead up this easily guys!
|
2
| 16:00
| 58
| 56
| McClurkin hits a 3, Mayer goes 1-2 at the line to get us to 58. Va Tech has yet to miss a shot this half, and they're on a 15-4 run and trail by only 2. I call another timeout.
|
2
| 15:20
| 63
| 56
| Day hits a 3 out of the timeout, Mayer with a steal and outlet to McClurkin who is fouled and hits two free throws, back to 7 again.
|
2
| 12:05
| 70
| 63
| I get a timeout, both teams seem to score at will now. Mayer and McCants need a break though, Day/McClurkin/Millar are fine for another minute or two I think. Mayer's got 21 points to lead us now, McCants 14, McClurkin 10. Day was scoreless at the half but has hit two big threes for us. Dearman/Black in, other subs still out.
|
2
| 10:00
| 77
| 67
| We extend the lead up to 10 and are on pace for 100 points. The final score of the first meeting? 72-63 Va Tech. Such a contrast. Backups are all in now.
|
2
| 7:05
| 85
| 70
| Porter hits two threes in a row, including a 3 in transition after a long rebound, and the backups give us a 15 point lead!! Timeout Va Tech.
|
2
| 6:50
| 85
| 74
| They score quickly, we turn it over against their press and they score again. I get my starters back in.
|
2
| 5:15
| 85
| 79
| Graves with a two inside, PF Sherman is fouled pump faking a 3 and hits 3 free throws... shades of Clemson as Va Tech is on a 9-0 run. I get a timeout.
|
2
| 4:15
| 85
| 81
| Day misses an open 3, they get a layup. We go into McCants, he misses, gets his own board, misses the putback, and Millar commits an over the back violation going for the putback. That's his 5th, and he's gone. He's the only guy we had in foul trouble and I hadn't thought to mention him heh. Black is in the rest of the way.
|
2
| 3:45
| 88
| 81
| We get a steal on the defensive end, and McClurkin goes off a screen and hits a big three, pushing our lead back to 7 and ending an 11-0 Va Tech run.
|
2
| 2:00
| 91
| 83
| Graves scores for them, he's quietly had a very solid 16 point day inside. Mayer hits an open 3 for us to push the lead back up to 8. We get a couple stops and try to attack with Mayer but no luck. On the second trip though Mayer gets his own miss and we pull it out to burn the clock.
|
2
| 1:30
| 91
| 85
| We get a poor shot and they go inside to Graves again. Our ball up 6.
|
2
| 0:28
| 91
| 87
| I try to go into McCants but he gets doubled, Mayer ends up taking a bad 3 as the shot clock expires, no good. Va Tech hurries but misses 3 shots in a row, getting 3 offensive boards(UGH) before Graves scores his 20th. We are out of timeouts, inbounding and getting doubled immediately, its a held ball which goes to us.
|
2
| 0:24
| 93
| 87
| They double McClurkin but this time he finds Mayer who is fouled. He comes through at the line this time, hitting both.
|
They miss the next trip down and that pretty much seals the win.
#21 Florida State 94
#6 Virginia Tech 87
Big, big win. After a tough, defensive game where we couldn't attack and couldn't draw fouls at their place, we basically foul out their entire team today, drawing 24 total fouls and taking 38 free throws. Of course, we miss 12, 26-38.
Graves is their rock today, 20 points/9 boards. Backup SG Bowen scores 17. PG Richard gets 27 minutes, only minorly limited by foul trouble, but only scores 6 points today. He burned us for 24 in the first meeting.
McClurkin: 13 points (3-4 from 3)
Day: 8 points
Mayer: 26 points/4 boards
Millar: 4 points/2 boards
McCants: 14 points/16 boards
Porter: 11 points (3-5 from 3)
Black: 5 points/8 boards
We shoot an outstanding 10-18 from 3 today. HUGE win, there is a big difference between 4-5 and 3-6 in league play.