For a half, the Virginia Cavaliers were everything everyone around the country would want them to be. They were efficient and at least moderately high-scoring on offense (34 points). Their typical great defense (17 points allowed) was present, and the Cavaliers seemed like they were well on their way to a blowout win over the Florida State Seminoles in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals at Greensboro this afternoon.

In the second half, however, the offense stagnated, Florida State (17-16) found some openings in the Pack Line Defense and referee Jamie Luckie and his crew ended up calling 36 fouls for the game. They also went to the replay monitor multiple times (once with no explanation as to what they were looking at), perhaps to try and find any remaining fouls they didn’t call. Whistled for uncharacteristic 18 fouls, however, Virginia survived FSU’s rally and moved on to the semifinals with a tougher-than-it-looks 58-44 win.

The win points out a couple things about this Virginia team. First, to really make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament — at least deeper than last year’s loss by two points in the Sweet 16 to Michigan State — the Cavaliers cannot go several minutes without a basket. Virginia gets forgiven during games more often for this than other teams would, because it’s so difficult for opponents to score points in bunches and truly capitalize on Virginia’s dry spells.

However, up 17 at the break, Virginia scored just five points in nearly the first 11 minutes of the second half. Even with that, the Seminoles were only able to cut the lead to seven. But the teams that make the field for the Big Dance are going to be far better than this Florida State club, what with their limited offensive options and big but not particularly mobile defense.

Second, when Virginia (29-2) is stuck in a game where officials for whatever reason decide to call fouls on a significant amount of the contact, the Cavaliers’ defense is less effective. Anthony Gill, Darion Atkins, Mike Tobey and Malcolm Brogdon all were whistled for at least three fouls — this for a team that only averages 14 infractions per game. You never know what you are going to get with postseason officiating, and Luckie at one point had both UVA head coach Tony Bennett and FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton barking at him at the same time. Hamilton was eventually called for a technical foul.

It’s tough to adjust on the fly when you never know what’s going to be a foul, and it’s even tougher when you’re going through a stretch where the offense isn’t producing any points. Virginia faced both of those issues today and still won by 14, so that has to be taken as a positive. Winning a postseason game is never bad. But if the offense stays efficient and shots fall, it’s a whole lot easier to deal with whatever type of officiating confronts the Cavaliers through the rest of March.

Ed Morgans is an ACC Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @writered21 and add him to your network on Google.