In Charlottesville, Virginia, an intense basketball showdown unfurled as Dai Dai Ames led Virginia with 18 points, closely followed by Andrew Rohde who achieved a season-high of 17, culminating in a narrow victory over Florida State with a 60-57 scoreline on Tuesday evening. The Cavaliers, now holding a 15-15 record and 8-11 in conference play, still have a chance to earn a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament if they defeat Syracuse this Saturday in their season finale.
Elijah Saunders contributed 11 points to Virginia’s tally. Even though Jamir Watkins scored 18 points for Florida State, it was not enough to secure a win for the Seminoles, who fall to a 16-13 overall and 7-11 in the ACC. In the final moments, with just five seconds on the clock, Ames successfully converted two crucial free throws to clinch the victory for Virginia. Prior to that, Watkins executed a thrilling dunk with 11 seconds remaining, narrowing the gap to 58-57, courtesy of a deflected drive from Justin Thomas who then launched a pass to Watkins for the play.
Rohde was able to break a 55-point tie by sinking a remarkable fadeaway three-pointer right on the brink of the shot clock from the right baseline—a move that reinvigorated Virginia’s lead. Earlier, Daquan Davis had given Florida State a slight edge with a three-pointer with 4:23 left in the game, pushing the score to 52-50. Following that, a single free throw by Watkins expanded their lead to three points. However, Saunders responded for Virginia with a three-point shot, leveling the scores once more at 53, until Alier Maluk scored a layup, seizing Florida State’s final lead with 2:35 on the clock. Quick to respond, Virginia’s Isaac McKneely equalized shortly afterward.
The head-to-head statistics now see Virginia extend their lead in the series against Florida State to 30-28. Over the course of their 58 encounters, Virginia has managed to outscore Florida State by a slender margin of just six points. As the ACC regular season edges to a close, the Seminoles are set to host SMU this Saturday.
