Florida State @ Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 15, 2020 ) Virginia 50, Florida State 54

Virginia might need some marquee wins down the stretch if it is going to get a chance to defend its national championship, and the Cavaliers have an opportunity Tuesday night when they host red-hot Florida State in ACC action. The sixth-ranked Seminoles have won 10 in a row after Saturday's 85-84 victory over Notre Dame and are a half-game out of first place in the league.

Sophomore forward Wyatt Wilkes scored a career-high 19 points in 19 minutes to help Florida State survive the upset bid by the Fighting Irish. "That's kind of the strength of our team," senior guard Trent Forrest told reporters after the win. "You never know who can come in and give us that spark. Tonight, it was Wyatt. They were leaving him open. And he's a shooter. That's target practice for him. He was shooting with confidence." The Cavaliers seemingly haven't shot with confidence all season - ranking last in the ACC in field-goal percentage (40.1) entering Monday - but they did just enough late to rally for a 65-63 overtime victory at Wake Forest on Sunday. "Someone told me ... 'Your team is gritty, they don't have moxie yet down the stretch,'" coach Tony Bennett told the media after his team came from 12 points down in the second half to force OT. "Hopefully we showed some grit and we're moving that needle a little closer to having some composure down the stretch."

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (17-2, 7-1 ACC): Sophomore guard Devin Vassell, who scored 18 points to lead the Seminoles to a 54-50 win over the Cavaliers at home earlier this month, is the team's top scorer (13.1 per game) and rebounder (5.2). Forrest chips in 11.8 points as well as team-leading averages of 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals after notching seven and four, respectively, against Notre Dame. Wilkes made 5-of-6 from 3-point range in his breakout performance Saturday after going 1-for-8 from long range and scoring a total of three points over his previous six games combined.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (13-6, 5-4): In dire need of some scoring options, the Cavaliers may have found one in the form of junior guard Tomas Woldetensae, who scored a career-high 21 points on seven 3-pointers against Wake Forest. "It was just showing the extra work I've put in the past couple of months," he told reporters Sunday. "I'm happy with it." Forward Mamadi Diakite tops the squad in scoring at 13.2 per game after finishing with 16 on Sunday, while fellow senior Braxton Key (10.0) is tied for second but looking to bounce back from a 2-of-16 shooting effort versus the Demon Deacons.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Woldetensae was 7-of-14 from 3-point distance Sunday while his teammates went 1-of-16 and the Cavaliers' overall mark from beyond the arc sits at 26.8 percent - 344th nationally entering Monday.

2. Seminoles sophomore G Anthony Polite is averaging 11 points and 3.7 steals off the bench over his last three games.

3. Diakite was the lone Cavalier to score in double figures with 16 points in the loss to Florida State on Jan. 15.

PREDICTION: Virginia 63, Florida State 62