TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Loss Leaves Seminoles Feeling Sick

ADVERTISEMENT

By SCOTT CARTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 27, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Too bad for Florida State that a representative from Pepto-Bismol wasn't at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Saturday. As the Seminoles walked off the court following their 69-66 loss to N.C. State, they appeared ready to throw up.

Blowing a 12-point lead and facing another March with no Madness - other than perhaps a not-so-coveted trip to the NIT - left the Noles in a sour mood.

"We beat ourselves," FSU guard Toney Douglas said. "Our backs are against the wall."

In the final minute, a banked-in 3-pointer by N.C. State's Courtney Fells tied the game 66-all, and two free throws by freshman center J.J. Hickson put N.C. State ahead for good with 9.6 seconds remaining. But as FSU (13-8, 2-4 ACC) tried to explain away another close loss, the blown lead and a 17-0 N.C. State run to close the first half dominated the conversation.

The Noles opened a 31-19 lead on Isaiah Swann's 3-pointer with 5:08 left before halftime, but N.C. State (13-6, 2-3) took advantage of FSU's sloppiness and bad shot selection to quickly strike back, taking a 36-31 lead into the half. Over the final 5:08, FSU went 0-for-8 from the field, including five 3-pointers.

"We had about five or six possessions there when we had a 12-point lead where we just didn't execute well," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "All of a sudden, what was a 12-point lead becomes a dogfight."

FSU's lead disappeared so fast that many in the announced crowd of 7,788 at the Tucker Center probably missed it by going to the concession stand. A little more than three minutes after Swann's 3 gave FSU the biggest lead either team owned, Hickson's short jumper with 1:45 left in the first half gave N.C. State a 32-31 advantage.

"It really started with our defense," Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe said. "That was probably the best defense we have played for that period of time all year long."

Despite the first-half collapse, FSU regained the lead, 43-42, on Jason Rich's dunk with 12:32 left in the game. From that point, neither team opened more than a four-point lead. Douglas, who scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the second half, gave the Noles a 66-63 lead with 58.7 seconds left on a drive.

On the next possession, Fells banked in his game-tying 3 over Ryan Reid.

"I was real close to blocking it," Reid said. "I couldn't believe he banked it in."

Neither could Hamilton.

"I'm not real sure it could be defended any better," Hamilton said. "I'm almost positive he didn't intend to bank it in. But when you allow yourself to have those poor possessions for a four- or five-minute stretch there like we did in the first half, you put yourself in position where these great plays can nail you."

FSU's bid to regain the lead after Fells' shot came up empty when Douglas missed another drive, and Hickson was fouled by Reid on the rebound, leading to his go-ahead free throws. FSU's final chance failed when Douglas missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie.

The loss, FSU's fourth in five games, left the Noles a massive hole to dig out of in its final 10 games of the regular season.

"We've got to get on a run here where we stack four or five good wins," Hamilton said.

INSIDE THE GAME

PLAYER OF THE GAME: N.C. State G Courtney Fells scored a team-high 16 points, including a banked-in 3-pointer that tied the game with 40 seconds left.

TURNING POINT: The Wolfpack closed the first half on a 17-0 run, turning a 31-19 deficit into a 36-31 halftime lead.

KEY STAT: Freshman J.J. Hickson shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, and hit his only two free throws of the game to put N.C. State ahead for good.

UP NEXT: FSU travels to face Virginia Tech on Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT