Florida State @ Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 5, 2019 ) Florida State 52, Virginia 65

No. 2 Virginia takes on No. 13 Florida State on Friday evening in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament from Charlotte, N.C. The Cavaliers, who are the tournament’s top seed, advanced with a win over North Carolina State in the quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon, while the fourth-seeded Seminoles needed overtime to sneak past Virginia Tech.

Virginia overcame a slow offensive start against the Wolfpack, but senior center Jack Salt sparked the team with his offensive play as the Cavaliers outscored N.C. State by 22 in the second half in the 76-56 win. Florida State’s win was much more dramatic as senior guard Terance Mann got an off-balance runner to fall with 1.8 seconds remaining in overtime for the 65-63 win over the Hokies. The Cavaliers and Hokies meet for the second time this season after Virginia managed a 65-52 home win in the ACC opener on Jan. 5. Kyle Guy scored 21 points in that game, including 18 in the first half, while Braxton Key added a season-high 20.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (26-6): Mann’s game-winner was part of a 10-point performance on 5-of-9 shooting; he also chipped in with nine rebounds and four assists. Freshman guard Devin Vassell was the only other player to reach double figures in scoring, notching a team-high 14 off the bench as the Seminoles hit just 38.6 percent of their shots against the Hokies. Florida State dominated Virginia Tech on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 43-30, but will need to clean up its 17 turnovers if it hopes to put up points against the nation's top-ranked scoring defense Friday.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (29-2): Salt, who entered Thursday averaging 3.6 points, poured in a career-high 18 on 7-of-8 shooting and had a couple of highlight-reel plays that sparked the Cavaliers in the second half against the Wolfpack. The Cavaliers made just 10 field goals in the first half and trailed 29-27 at the break before erupting for 49 second-half points on 62.5 percent shooting. Guy (15.8 points) was brilliant with 29 points on 10-of-13 shooting (7-of-9 beyond the arc) as he and Salt made up for the poor shooting of Ty Jerome, who tallied two points on 1-of-11 shooting after scoring 13.5 points per game during the regular season.

TIP-INS

1. Florida State has won five straight, while Virginia has won nine in a row; both teams have won 13 of 14.

2. Vassell hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left in regulation to help force overtime against the Hokies.

3. The Cavaliers held the Wolfpack to 3-of-20 beyond the arc.

PREDICTION: Virginia 63, Florida State 55