Florida State’s torrid 2nd-half shooting dooms Virginia Tech
Reserve Martin Somerville scored 18 points after halftime to lead Florida State's second-half eruption in a 92-69 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg, Va.
Somerville finished with a season-high-tying 23 points, making all seven of his second-half field-goal attempts. Chauncey Wiggins added 19 points, Lajae Jones tallied 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds and Robert McCray V scored 17 for the Seminoles, who have won two straight road games and four of their last five games overall.
Florida State (12-13, 5-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) outscored the Hokies (17-9, 6-7) 53-27 in the second half after trailing by three points at intermission. Its 92 points are the team's most in a conference game this season.
Ben Hammond and Tobi Lawal led the Hokies with 16 points apiece, while Jailen Bedford (13), Amani Hansberry (10) and Neoklis Avdalas (10) also scored in double figures for the Hokies, who were unable to build off Wednesday's road upset of No. 20 Clemson.
Virginia Tech shot 36% in the second half compared to the Seminoles' scorching 78.3%. Florida State also shot a season-best 52.2% (12 of 23) from 3-point range.
Virginia Tech led 42-39 at the end of a torrid first half which saw each team shoot exactly 50% from the floor. The Hokies used a 7-2 run to charge ahead 21-13 with 12:35 left in the first half.
The Seminoles gradually chipped into the deficit, leveling the score at 34-all on a 3-pointer by AJ Swinton with 4:18 left. Virginia Tech responded with a surge to lead 42-39 at the break.
Hammond led the Hokies with 11 first-half points, with Lawal providing 10. Wiggins was the lone Seminole in double figures with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting (2 of 3 from three).
After trailing almost the entire first half, Florida State took control with a 19-4 surge, turning a five-point deficit into a 63-53 lead with 11:06 left. Somerville scored the final four points of a 13-0 run which put the Seminoles ahead during that span.
Somerville then scored seven straight points after the Hokies cut the lead to six, giving Florida State a 70-57 lead with under eight minutes left.
It never got closer from there, as the Seminoles iced the game with an 11-0 run to take an 84-60 lead with four minutes left.