Florida State 53, Virginia 51
Being a Virginia fan is hard. Take the past week as an example. Wahoos everywhere were elated when UVa downed Duke at John Paul Jones Arena last Thursday. It is now Friday of the next week and fans are cursing the team after dropping two straight road games to mediocre ACC teams, seemingly dashing everything that had been accomplished by the hard work of the team and the fans in the big win over the Blue Devils.
Sunday night, it was Boston College. Thursday night, it was Florida State's turn. The Seminoles led the majority of the second half before giving it up at the very end but a Michael Snaer two-pointer with under five seconds left did Virginia in. The game ended in a similar manner as well -- UVa was unable to get a final shot off and coach Tony Bennett didn't use a final timeout to set up a play, much to the chagrin of UVa fans. Lots of diehards were hoping Bennett had learned something from losing at BC with a timeout left on the table but he elected to not use it once again. I am a big fan of Bennett and he has taken this team to the brink of a Big Dance bid, something I did not think would happen this year, but his end-game situations need some work. I do not want to criticize harshly, as he has far more basketball knowledge than myself, but it needs to be said that the final seconds/minute of the past two games have not been good for the 'Hoos. You have to be able to at least get a shot off with about five seconds or more left in the game. I give Bennett credit Thursday night though for helping the team fight back from an 11-point deficit with six minutes left -- have to close the deal, though. Luckily, he is also a young coach in just his seventh full year of head coaching, I believe, so he has time to improve in that department. He has surely learned some difficult lessons the past two games.
UVa seemed to be in the NCAA tournament after the Duke win provided it closed the regular season by beating Maryland at home (something it can still do Sunday) and winning just one of its road games at BC and FSU. It won neither and lost both in excruciating fashion. Now, the Cavaliers' backs are up against the wall. Sunday, the Terrapins come to town in even more of a desperation mode than the 'Hoos. Maryland can ill afford another loss on its tourney resume and probably needs to not only beat Virginia in Charlottesville, but also get to Saturday (semifinals) or Sunday (finals) of the ACC tournament to receive a bid to the dance. The loser is most surely out of the NCAA tournament barring winning the ACC tournament.
Virginia had a golden opportunity to lock up a bid to the NCAA tournament by winning these last two games. The Cavs were five big points from doing it (two would have won it vs. BC while three would have done the trick vs. FSU). Had they closed both those victories, a win over Maryland and any victory in the ACC tournament would be icing on the cake and we would be talking about UVa's seeding in the NCAA tournament. As it is, however, Virginia has made it tough on itself and its fans, per the norm, and there is a ton riding on Sunday's finale between the bubbalicious Terrapins and Cavaliers.
Being a Virginia fan is hard. Take the past week as an example. Wahoos everywhere were elated when UVa downed Duke at John Paul Jones Arena last Thursday. It is now Friday of the next week and fans are cursing the team after dropping two straight road games to mediocre ACC teams, seemingly dashing everything that had been accomplished by the hard work of the team and the fans in the big win over the Blue Devils.
Sunday night, it was Boston College. Thursday night, it was Florida State's turn. The Seminoles led the majority of the second half before giving it up at the very end but a Michael Snaer two-pointer with under five seconds left did Virginia in. The game ended in a similar manner as well -- UVa was unable to get a final shot off and coach Tony Bennett didn't use a final timeout to set up a play, much to the chagrin of UVa fans. Lots of diehards were hoping Bennett had learned something from losing at BC with a timeout left on the table but he elected to not use it once again. I am a big fan of Bennett and he has taken this team to the brink of a Big Dance bid, something I did not think would happen this year, but his end-game situations need some work. I do not want to criticize harshly, as he has far more basketball knowledge than myself, but it needs to be said that the final seconds/minute of the past two games have not been good for the 'Hoos. You have to be able to at least get a shot off with about five seconds or more left in the game. I give Bennett credit Thursday night though for helping the team fight back from an 11-point deficit with six minutes left -- have to close the deal, though. Luckily, he is also a young coach in just his seventh full year of head coaching, I believe, so he has time to improve in that department. He has surely learned some difficult lessons the past two games.
UVa seemed to be in the NCAA tournament after the Duke win provided it closed the regular season by beating Maryland at home (something it can still do Sunday) and winning just one of its road games at BC and FSU. It won neither and lost both in excruciating fashion. Now, the Cavaliers' backs are up against the wall. Sunday, the Terrapins come to town in even more of a desperation mode than the 'Hoos. Maryland can ill afford another loss on its tourney resume and probably needs to not only beat Virginia in Charlottesville, but also get to Saturday (semifinals) or Sunday (finals) of the ACC tournament to receive a bid to the dance. The loser is most surely out of the NCAA tournament barring winning the ACC tournament.
Virginia had a golden opportunity to lock up a bid to the NCAA tournament by winning these last two games. The Cavs were five big points from doing it (two would have won it vs. BC while three would have done the trick vs. FSU). Had they closed both those victories, a win over Maryland and any victory in the ACC tournament would be icing on the cake and we would be talking about UVa's seeding in the NCAA tournament. As it is, however, Virginia has made it tough on itself and its fans, per the norm, and there is a ton riding on Sunday's finale between the bubbalicious Terrapins and Cavaliers.
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