“We had some bad games,” coach Mike Young said after Florida State scored 25 points off 13 Virginia Tech turnovers. “It was persistent, it was active, and there were a few head-scratching moments. That's a credit to the Seminoles.”
The eighth-seeded Hokies (18-14) shot 64 percent from the field to take a one-point lead at halftime, with Sean Pedulla scoring 24 points and Tyler Nickel adding 18 points off the bench. Both ends collapsed after the break.
Former Virginia Commonwealth forward Jameel Watkins was a threat on both ends, posting 34 points, 11 rebounds and four steals to lead the ninth-seeded Seminoles (17-15) to Thursday's No. 1 seed. He led them to the quarterfinals against North Carolina.
“I don't know if anyone has scored 34 points on us this year,” Young said. “He was very good.”
In fact, it was the most points scored by a player against Virginia Tech during Young's five-year tenure. The last time Duke's Luke Kennard hit 34 against the Hokies was on New Year's Eve in 2016.
Defense wasn't the defining feature for either team in the early going, but Florida State took advantage of a takeaway early in the second half to build a 50-42 lead. However, the Hokies had just one turnover that lasted more than 10 minutes in the second game and gradually regained control of the game, at one point taking a 58-57 advantage.
“It's pretty much the same as the last time we played,” Pedula said. The team split two regular season games against Florida State. “You have to be really strong, especially when you get inside the paint. They make a living off of those turnovers and coming out of transition periods. It's tough, but you have to do it if you want to win.”
The Hokies' chance disappeared when Jalen Worley intercepted a MJ Collins pass and made a layup. On the next possession, Primo Spears, who played one year at Georgetown last season and scored 10 points in his return, picked off a pass from Pedulla to make it 63-58, prompting Young to call a timeout. 5:01 left.
There was little to stop the Seminoles' momentum, and almost two minutes later a steal by Watkins led to a basket by Worley, sparking an 11-0 run and securing the first double-digit lead of the day for either team.
“There's no question that our defensive philosophy is based on deflections, steals and turnovers,” Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. “To do that effectively, you have to play with your hands and keep your hands up. That's what we emphasized all week.”
Even if Virginia Tech couldn't come back in the second half, the points didn't come easily until the final few scrambled possessions. The Hokies shot just 35.7 percent from the field, including 2 of 13 on 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes.
Much of that was in response to the big, tall defenders the Seminoles have specialized in recruiting for most of Hamilton's 22-year tenure.
“In the second half, we competed better on shots and in the second half we were able to contain the dribbler well,” Hamilton said. “In the first half, they were blowing past us like the wind.”
Virginia Tech will miss back-to-back NCAA tournaments for the first time since a nearly 10-year drought from 2008 to 2016, but the season may not be over yet. With wins over Boise State, Clemson State, and Iowa State, and relatively strong metrics for a team, the Hokies are a strong candidate to earn a spot in the NIT.
Young is among those who want that to happen.
“To play in the postseason? Sign me,” Young said. “Everyone wants to play in big tournaments, but are we going to coach these players again and play in those games? You're right. Pants are never too big. [I’ll decline an NIT bid]. It's a chance to play in the postseason. I don't care what anyone says. That's not what we all want, but we still want to do it because it's a great tournament. ”
