Virginia Tech Wins Slugfest In 83-75 Victory Over Florida State
Carter Hill
Editor-in-Chief
February 13, 2024
Virginia Tech's Lynn Kidd tied a career-high with 15 rebounds in the Hokies' win over Florida State. (Virginia Tech Athletics)
BLACKSBURG – Well, they always say, slow and steady wins the race, and in this particular case, that certainly reigned true.
Riding a season-high 20 points from standout guard Hunter Cattoor, a dominating night on the glass and a 28-for-32 (87.5%) performance from the line, Virginia Tech (14-10, 6-7 ACC) snapped a three-game losing streak in a game that saw 47 total fouls in an 83-75 victory over Florida State (13-11, 7-6) on Tuesday evening inside Cassell Coliseum.
“We were quicker to the ball tonight then they were,” Tech head coach Mike Young said. “They were much quicker to the ball down in Tallahassee, and that was a big part of the game. Probably a big part of the game tonight. … Battled through some fouls. Every time you play Florida State, you’re dealing with those issues as they just drive the ball so violently.
“ … But all-in-all, a really good night for our club, and we needed one.”
The Hokies handled the Seminoles 35-23 on the boards over the course of the night, snatching 13 offensive rebounds and using Lynn Kidd’s game-high 15 to lead the way in the eight-point win.
That was big-time, too. Tech allowed an alarming 11 offensive boards in the 77-74 loss to Florida State earlier this year, serving as a key ingredient in the Jan. 6 loss.
“We were very active on the glass,” Young said. “I thought we were much more physical on the glass then we’ve been of late. Lynn was awesome. 10 first-half rebounds, 15 for the game. That’s a pretty good statline from that young man.”
That it was. It wasn’t just rebounding, though. Tech got contributions from across the board, too.
Cattoor’s 20 points helped steer the ship, but Sean Pedulla (19 – 14 via free throws), Tyler Nickel (15) and Kidd (12) all were pivotal pieces in the scoring column. That’s four scorers in double figures, something the Hokies will take any given night.
Nickel may have been the unsung hero as well. The North Carolina transfer knocked down three huge threes throughout the night, finishing 6-of-9 from the field and putting the game away with a thunderous slam in 29 minutes of play.
“He was really big,” Cattoor said. “To kind of have someone like that come off the bench and kind of spark us, to hit a big shot at any moment, to have a huge dunk like he did tonight, just stuff like that. He’s improved so much on the defensive end, just his confidence on the perimeter and also on the inside. Sometimes we play him at the four and he’s guarding someone like [FSU forward] Baba Miller that’s 6-foot-11, so it’s a tough matchup for him.
“But he wasn’t scared tonight. … He was huge.”
Though not sparkling, Tech still shot 40.7% (22-of-54) for the game and an impressive 47.8% (11-of-23) from three. Maybe not exactly the numbers that lend itself to an 83-point showing, but when there’s 28 points coming from the line, they don’t exactly have to.
For the most part, the Hokies needed everyone. Tech played a 10-man rotation to counter FSU’s 11-man army, getting contributions from Jaydon Young (3 points, 12 minutes), Brandon Rechsteiner (3, 9) and John Camden (2, 4).
That’s even with Mehki Long still sidelined with a nagging knee injury, showcasing an impressive night for the Hokies’ depth.
“[They] helped us win,” Young said. “I had no choice in either half, and John responded. John did some good things for us in the first half defensively, got those two [free throws] down in the second half. Jaydon Young helped our team tonight, got the three down in the first half, as did Rechsteiner.
“You’ve got to be able to do that because they’ll just wear you down playing as many people as they do, and he sometimes plays more than he did tonight.”
It was the first time Rechsteiner had scored since the Clemson game on Jan. 10, the first time Young had scored since the Vermont game on Dec. 16 and the first time Camden had even seen the floor since the Jan. 27 win over Georgia Tech.
A nice sign, no doubt.
Overall, this is a nice win for Virginia Tech. The Hokies overcame a 53.3% (24-of-45) shooting night from Florida State, and were able to get back on track after going winless the past two weeks.
Now, a big test at No. 7 North Carolina awaits this weekend. A tall task, but one if able to be accomplished, could prove to pay dividends the rest of the way.
“Let’s take tomorrow off and prepare our bodies and let’s have two good days of preparation,” Young said. “Let’s find a way to go down there and win. Not going to be easy.”