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Akron Ousts FSU In OT
Photo by COLIN HACKLEY
Florida State's Jason Rich flies between three Akron defenders during second half action, Tuesday at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee.
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Published: March 19, 2008
TALLAHASSEE - Unlike the past two seasons, when Florida State was squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Seminoles had little to gripe about Sunday when they learned the NIT was their postseason destination for the third consecutive year.
In their 65-60 overtime loss to Akron on Tuesday night, the Seminoles proved the NCAA Tournament committee knows an NIT team when it sees one.
Maybe it was because they weren't allowed to go through their normal pregame introductions because it was an NIT game; or maybe it was due to the Donald L. Tucker Center being about one-third full; or perhaps it was the fact the referees seemed to have a plane to catch after the loosely called game.
Whatever the reason, FSU (19-15) never looked in sync, falling behind 20-5 and playing catch-up the rest of the first half. In the second half, the Noles and Zips staged a see-saw affair, but in overtime, the Noles had no answer for Akron senior guard Nick Dials, who scored 13 of his game-high 21 points in the extra period.
With the game tied at 51, Dials missed a layup to win the game at the end of regulation, forcing overtime. In the extra session, he scored 13 of the Zips' 14 points, ending FSU's season.
The Noles entered playing their best basketball, their only defeats during the past month a pair of losses to top-ranked North Carolina.
But on Tuesday, the guard trio of Toney Douglas, Jason Rich and Ralph Mims, which carried FSU for most of the season, had one of its worst games. The trio combined to score 23 points on 9-for-30 shooting. Rich also had 10 turnovers.
"Tonight was one of those nights where it seemed you couldn't get the simplest and easiest things done," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We kind of invented ways to turn over the ball."
If not for the play of forwards Uche Echefu, who scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds, and Ryan Reid, who added 14 points and seven rebounds, FSU would have been in a lot more trouble.
The loss ended FSU's bid to reach 20 wins for the third consecutive season.
Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.
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