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Rich Lifts Noles To Win

By TOM SALADINO, The Associated Press

Published: December 31, 2007

Updated: 12/31/2007 12:12 am

ATLANTA - Jason Rich was an option to take the game-winning shot, but not the first. What mattered is that he made it.

Rich hit a 14-foot jumper with 4.3 seconds left to lift Florida State to a 66-64 win against Georgia Tech on Sunday night in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

The Yellow Jackets had a chance to tie but Zack Peacock's off-balance jumper at the buzzer never had a chance, falling short.

"We had two or three options," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We were trying to get it to Toney leading scorer Douglas on the push, and if they took Toney away we wanted to go to Jason on the push. They were guarding certain people out on the perimeter, so Jason came down and went straight to the basket, pulling up for a good shot."

Ralph Mimms had given the Noles (11-4) a 64-63 lead with 35 seconds left on a jumper after Tech's Zach Peacock was called for an offensive foul with 44 seconds remaining.

The Yellow Jackets (6-6) tied it with 9.4 seconds left through D'Andre Bell, who made one of two free throws before Rich got the out of bounds pass in his end and dribbled the length of the floor for the game-winner.

"That's my spot on the floor. That's where I like to shoot from," Rich said. "It feels good. I was able to get up a head of steam. I found my spot on the floor and let it go."

Douglas led Florida State with 22 points and had four steals, giving him an ACC-high 40. Rich and Uche Echefu each had 11 points and Mimms 10.

Anthony Morrow had 17 points for the Yellow Jackets and Bell added 15. Jeremis Smith had nine points.

On the final play by Peacock, Georgia Tech was hoping to get the ball to Anthony Morrow or Lewis Clinch.

"We were hoping that D'Andre would get the ball and push it up with four or five dribbles. I'll have to look at tape, but Anthony and Clinch were supposed to cross screen at the bottom and pop out for 3s," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said.

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