White’s Clutch 19 Points Propel No. 15 Virginia to Thrilling Comeback Over Florida State

In a nail-biter down in Tallahassee, Jacari White lit up the scoreboard off the bench, pouring in 19 points—including a clutch dunk with just over a minute remaining—that propelled No. 15 Virginia from behind to topple Florida State 61-58. The Orlando native’s sharpshooting night—hitting five of nine from beyond the arc—sparked a fierce 11-0 finishing run that stretched the Cavaliers’ winning streak to five, showcasing his best ACC performance this season in just 21 minutes of action. Despite some cold shooting from both sides, Virginia’s bench dominance and key rebounds down the stretch made all the difference against an FSU squad led by Lajae Jones, who delivered a double-double of 21 points and 13 boards. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective—a classic demonstration of grit and persistence on the hardwood. LEARN MORE

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Jacari White scored 19 points off the bench, including a go-ahead dunk with 1:12 remaining, and No. 15 Virginia closed on an 11-0 run to rally past Florida State 61-58 on Tuesday night.

White shot 5 of 9 from 3-point range as the Orlando native returned to the Sunshine State and helped the Cavaliers (21-3, 10-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) extend their winning streak to five games. He played 21 minutes and scored more points than he had in any ACC game this season.

Lajae Jones had 21 points and a season-high 13 rebounds for Florida State (11-13, 3-7), which had won three straight. Robert McCray V finished with 20 points.

A short jumper by Thijs De Ridder gave Virginia a 61-58 advantage with 25 seconds remaining. Jones and McCray each missed a 3-pointer that could have tied it, and the Seminoles went scoreless over the final 4:54.

De Ridder had nine points and nine rebounds, helping Virginia outrebound Florida State 47-37.

Led by White, Virginia’s bench outscored Florida State’s reserves 32-10.

Neither team shot well, although the Cavaliers improved late in the game. Virginia shot 38% from the floor overall and 10 of 33 (30%) from 3-point distance but managed to win for the 10th time in 11 games.

Florida State led 54-45 with 8:22 left before going cold. The Seminoles shot 29% from the field and 6 of 33 (18%) from 3-point range.