CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. —
Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton paid Kihei Clark an enormous praise within the handshake line after the fifth-year level guard helped lead No. 3 Virginia over the Seminoles 62-57.
“I will be glad if you go,” Hamilton mentioned he informed Clark, who scored 18 factors Saturday. “He smiled. See, I gotcha, although. That is what he was pondering.”
The Seminoles coach wasn’t completed.
“He did not lose his poise. And for somewhat man, his power is his IQ. You realize, we are able to discuss his dribbling expertise and hitting his free throws and massive pictures, however he makes nice choices. He would not actually get rattled that a lot. He is like a coach on the ground,” Hamilton mentioned.
“I imply, he impacts each recreation he performs in due to his excessive basketball IQ. … He is nearly flawless as some extent guard and a type of guys that do not come alongside fairly often,” he mentioned.
The Cavaliers (7-0) needed to overcome poor taking pictures (18 of 51, 35.3%) to win their fifteenth straight Atlantic Coast Convention opener, however wanted a 22-9 run to start out the second half to take management. They turned a 22-21 halftime deficit right into a 43-31 lead, after which needed to maintain on on the finish because the Seminoles (1-9) tried to keep away from their fifth consecutive loss.
The begin to the second half was crucial, Clark mentioned, as a result of “to get that sufficiently big lead you may get, is it makes it simpler on your self later within the stretch.”
Florida State scored the following six factors after Virginia’s run, then did not rating once more for 5 minutes because the Cavaliers rebuilt their benefit. The Seminoles obtained inside 55-50 on Matthew Cleveland’s jumper with a minute left, inside 4 on Darin Inexperienced Jr.’s jumper with 40 seconds left, and inside after Caleb Mills’ acrobatic three-point play with 7.5 seconds left.
Reece Beekman, who hit two free throws with 34 seconds left for Virginia, hit two extra with 7 seconds to play, permitting the Cavaliers to carry on.
Final 12 months, it was Cleveland’s buzzer-beating jumper that gave the Seminoles a 64-63 victory at John Paul Jones Enviornment, one thing Virginia coach Tony Bennett reminded him of, additionally within the handshake line.
“I mentioned, `You are the man that made the shot final 12 months towards us, proper?'” Bennett mentioned. “And he smiled and I mentioned, I assumed it is perhaps coming right down to one thing like that once more.”
Inexperienced scored 17 factors for the and Cleveland completed with 11.
Jayden Gardner added 10 factors and 7 rebounds for the Cavaliers, together with a tip-in with 3:07 left after Florida State closed to 51-43.
The victory was simply the second for Virginia within the final six conferences and marked the twenty first time within the final 22 matchups the Cavaliers held FSU below 70 factors.
ROCK FIGHT
The primary half was extra bodily than finesse with Virginia referred to as for 9 private fouls whereas making simply six subject objectives. The Seminoles had seven subject objectives and 6 fouls.
BIG PICTURE
Florida St.: The Seminoles are youthful than anticipated. They proceed to play with out freshman Baba Miller, who’s suspended for the primary 16 video games of the season for getting an improper journey profit, and Brown switch Jaylan Gainey, the two-time Ivy League defensive participant of the 12 months who will miss the season with a knee damage.
Virginia: Even when their offense is clicking, the Cavaliers at all times depend on their protection to maintain them in video games, and it labored on this one. The Seminoles completed 21 of 64 from the sector (33%) and Virginia completed with 4 steals and 10 blocks, 4 by Kadin Shedrick.
UP NEXT
The Seminoles return house to play Louisville subsequent Saturday.
Virginia stays at house and faces James Madison on Tuesday night time.
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AP faculty basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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