FSU 82 GT 71 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Good
FSU starts off the new year in the win column improving its record to 7-6, 1-1 spurred by a much better team effort that was seen earlier this season such as in the games in Daytona. GT has been waiting since January, 2016 to win in Tallahassee. After tonight the Yellow Jackets are still waiting. Tech led once ... 3-0. It was all Florida State from then on leading by as many as 17 points in the first half. Tech closed the gap to 8 points twice in the second period. But FSU's defense stiffened and held Tech off. This was a win the team needed.
Key in the win offensively anyway was the play of the bench scoring 42 points to just 16 for the Jackets. Everybody who played scored something for Florida State. As Leonard Hamilton said in post game tonight the team "shared the ball and moved the ball". Even when Tech picked up its tempo and was making its run at the lead, the Seminole offense was clicking shooting an astounding 64% from the floor in the second half.
Leading the team in scoring was Chandler Jackson with a career high 14 points. Jamir Watkins added 11, all in the second half, and Darin Green scored 10.
Also key in the win was a stifling defense in the first half, FSU's quick to the ball defense held Tech to 27% from the floor and 1-14 (that's 7% for those of you keeping score at home) from the arc..
Notable plays of the game: Jackson's driving lay up from the left, 37-22, and then stealing the inbound pass. Jalen Warley driving in the lane is tripped. Falling, Warley flips the ball up and in, 62-49. Not to make light of Tech's Charles Kelly falling into the end line seats and getting shaken up enough to have to substitute for him, but that allowed Hamilton to pick Tech's worst FT shooter, Tafara Gaspara who is 54% from the stripe. He lived up to that percentage and then some missing both. Primo Spears' alley oop pass to Cameron Corhen for the slam dunk, 26-17. Corhen with the offensive putback at the intermission buzzer staying with the play when Tech appeared to give up when the shot clock went off two seconds earlier. Warley keeping Tech at bay sinking two critical FTs with 38 seconds left, 78-69. The baseball inbound pass from Jackson to a wide open Warley and the layup, 80-69. Baba Miller displaying his pro potential with the driving lay up in an instant from the right wing for the slam.
The Bad
On Miller's slam, he was fouled on the play and looked to make it the conventional three point play. He missed however. A 43% shooter from the stripe obviously needs some work.
As Hamilton mentioned, ball movement was very good. One play early in the second half highlighted that as players without the ball were moving. The ball was moving. Everything was going well on the possession. Except until the ball ended up in Warley's hands with just seconds left on the shot clock. The result was Warley's shot being stuffed.
De'Ante Green and his lone three point attempt. BTW, he was wiiiiiide open. You know why he was wiiiiiiide open? He was 1-9 now 1-10 from the arc. If he is wondering why no one is guarding him out there, that's why. Either make them or post up. I vote for the post up.
Microcosms of good and bad in this game. Mostly good, but .... twice timing on the lob from Spears to Justin Gainey resulted in a turnover and twice passes to the sideline had the receiver with a foot on the line. Turnover or should I say turnovers? One of those occurred with just five seconds expended on the shot clock. Patience Grasshopper. Patience.
The Ugly
FSU's defense clamped down at the arc as mentioned earlier. In the early minutes of the second half, Tech essentially forgot all about the arc and went to dribble penetration creating an 8-0 run. And then FSU goes to a zone for two consecutive possessions. The result was two straight threes from the Jackets, End of the zone defense at that point.
Warley fouling a 3 point shooter (Kelly) with just 4.6 seconds left in the game????? He should not have been within 5 feet of him at that point. Time plus scoreboard. Always a good measurement of dictating your defense.
Up Next
The other Tech comes to Tallahassee on Saturday for a 4 PM tip to be shown on the ACCN. When we last saw the 9-4, 1-1 Hokies, they were busily being hammered by Wake Forest at Wake Forest 86-63. Not the performance they were looking for I am sure. This should be a very focused Virginia Tech team FSU faces especially with an entire week to prepare. VT is led by Lynn Hunter (16 ppg), Hunter Catoor (14 ppg), and Sean Padulla (12 ppg) the last two seemingly having been at Virginia Tech now for 8 years (not really).
The Good
FSU starts off the new year in the win column improving its record to 7-6, 1-1 spurred by a much better team effort that was seen earlier this season such as in the games in Daytona. GT has been waiting since January, 2016 to win in Tallahassee. After tonight the Yellow Jackets are still waiting. Tech led once ... 3-0. It was all Florida State from then on leading by as many as 17 points in the first half. Tech closed the gap to 8 points twice in the second period. But FSU's defense stiffened and held Tech off. This was a win the team needed.
Key in the win offensively anyway was the play of the bench scoring 42 points to just 16 for the Jackets. Everybody who played scored something for Florida State. As Leonard Hamilton said in post game tonight the team "shared the ball and moved the ball". Even when Tech picked up its tempo and was making its run at the lead, the Seminole offense was clicking shooting an astounding 64% from the floor in the second half.
Leading the team in scoring was Chandler Jackson with a career high 14 points. Jamir Watkins added 11, all in the second half, and Darin Green scored 10.
Also key in the win was a stifling defense in the first half, FSU's quick to the ball defense held Tech to 27% from the floor and 1-14 (that's 7% for those of you keeping score at home) from the arc..
Notable plays of the game: Jackson's driving lay up from the left, 37-22, and then stealing the inbound pass. Jalen Warley driving in the lane is tripped. Falling, Warley flips the ball up and in, 62-49. Not to make light of Tech's Charles Kelly falling into the end line seats and getting shaken up enough to have to substitute for him, but that allowed Hamilton to pick Tech's worst FT shooter, Tafara Gaspara who is 54% from the stripe. He lived up to that percentage and then some missing both. Primo Spears' alley oop pass to Cameron Corhen for the slam dunk, 26-17. Corhen with the offensive putback at the intermission buzzer staying with the play when Tech appeared to give up when the shot clock went off two seconds earlier. Warley keeping Tech at bay sinking two critical FTs with 38 seconds left, 78-69. The baseball inbound pass from Jackson to a wide open Warley and the layup, 80-69. Baba Miller displaying his pro potential with the driving lay up in an instant from the right wing for the slam.
The Bad
On Miller's slam, he was fouled on the play and looked to make it the conventional three point play. He missed however. A 43% shooter from the stripe obviously needs some work.
As Hamilton mentioned, ball movement was very good. One play early in the second half highlighted that as players without the ball were moving. The ball was moving. Everything was going well on the possession. Except until the ball ended up in Warley's hands with just seconds left on the shot clock. The result was Warley's shot being stuffed.
De'Ante Green and his lone three point attempt. BTW, he was wiiiiiide open. You know why he was wiiiiiiide open? He was 1-9 now 1-10 from the arc. If he is wondering why no one is guarding him out there, that's why. Either make them or post up. I vote for the post up.
Microcosms of good and bad in this game. Mostly good, but .... twice timing on the lob from Spears to Justin Gainey resulted in a turnover and twice passes to the sideline had the receiver with a foot on the line. Turnover or should I say turnovers? One of those occurred with just five seconds expended on the shot clock. Patience Grasshopper. Patience.
The Ugly
FSU's defense clamped down at the arc as mentioned earlier. In the early minutes of the second half, Tech essentially forgot all about the arc and went to dribble penetration creating an 8-0 run. And then FSU goes to a zone for two consecutive possessions. The result was two straight threes from the Jackets, End of the zone defense at that point.
Warley fouling a 3 point shooter (Kelly) with just 4.6 seconds left in the game????? He should not have been within 5 feet of him at that point. Time plus scoreboard. Always a good measurement of dictating your defense.
Up Next
The other Tech comes to Tallahassee on Saturday for a 4 PM tip to be shown on the ACCN. When we last saw the 9-4, 1-1 Hokies, they were busily being hammered by Wake Forest at Wake Forest 86-63. Not the performance they were looking for I am sure. This should be a very focused Virginia Tech team FSU faces especially with an entire week to prepare. VT is led by Lynn Hunter (16 ppg), Hunter Catoor (14 ppg), and Sean Padulla (12 ppg) the last two seemingly having been at Virginia Tech now for 8 years (not really).
