Florida State University’s men’s basketball team achieved a notable win against Virginia Tech, scoring 92 points and recording a .618 field goal percentage. This victory marked the highest shooting percentage in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) road game in the program’s history.
The team’s 92 points were the most scored by Florida State in an ACC victory since their 93-64 win over Boston College on March 3, 2021. The Seminoles’ .618 shooting percentage is also the fourth-highest in an ACC game for the team since they shot .661 against Clemson on February 5, 2017.
Florida State’s strong offensive showing included making 12 three-point shots and shooting .522 from beyond the arc. In the second half of Saturday’s game at Cassell Coliseum, the Seminoles outscored Virginia Tech by a margin of 53-27, shooting .783 from the field.
Head coach Luke Loucks commented on his team’s performance: “This was probably our best performance of the season on both sides of the ball. It takes nights like tonight to win on the road in a tough environment. This is one of the toughest places to play. When this place is packed, it’s loud, with a great student section and really good support. We knew this would be challenging.”
Loucks also noted his surprise at his team’s efficiency late in the game: “One thing he didn’t know coming into the game was that his team would shoot .800 from the field during the final 15 minutes.”
Chauncey Wiggins gave Florida State its first lead in the second half with a basket at the 15:31 mark, starting a decisive run where Florida State outscored Virginia Tech 42-20 while converting on 80 percent of their shots for that stretch.
Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young said, “Everything the Seminoles touched in the second half went well for them offensively. The ball can’t get downhill as well as it did. They were making shots.”
Florida State’s starting lineup shot .639 from the field, while bench players contributed with a .579 shooting percentage. Martin Somerville was named player of the game after making nine of eleven shots overall and all seven attempts in the second half. He also provided six assists without committing any turnovers.
“Martin Somerville has been two for 19 over the last three games, but when he gets it going, he’s hard to stop,” said Loucks. “On down the list with Chauncey Wiggins, Robert McCray V, and Lajae Jones. All these guys stepped up.”
Young added praise for Somerville: “The Somerville kid comes in averaging eight points a game. He’s a good player, but I had never seen that type of performance…”
Despite attention on Florida State’s offense, Loucks emphasized defense as key to their success: “The stats would say our guys had great offensive games,” said Loucks. “I would argue that their defense was better than their offense, especially in the second half.”
The Seminoles limited Virginia Tech to just nine made field goals and three three-pointers after halftime while forcing eight turnovers and outrebounding their opponent.
“Even though the second half was a great offensive half — probably the best offensive half of the year for us — our defense is what allowed that to happen,” said Loucks. “When you get stops and rebounds, it’s much easier to play with pace, and it’s much easier to get out and run.”
Looking ahead, Florida State will host Boston College at home on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., with television coverage provided by ACC Network.
Tickets are available through Seminoles.com; Florida State students can claim free tickets online.
