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Douglas' Late Runner Propels FSU

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By HANK KURZ Jr. The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 22, 2009

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Florida State's Toney Douglas scored 22 points, including a tie-breaking runner with 6 seconds remaining, and then had to suffer through the game's final sequence.

With 6 seconds to work, Virginia Tech ran a brilliant play that found A.D. Vassallo wide open for a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the top of the key. It's the kind of look Vassallo makes almost every time, but this one bounced off the back of the rim, allowing the Seminoles to escape with a 67-65 victory and sole possession of second place in the ACC.

"They scared me on that last shot," Douglas said. "That open 3 scared me. It was a great play. ... He probably was surprised he was wide open, that's why he missed it."

Derwin Kitchen added a career-high 19 points and Uche Echefu had 12 for the Seminoles (21-6, 8-4 ACC), who won for the fifth time in six games. They also moved out of a four-way tie with Wake Forest, Duke and Clemson and into second place alone.

"We still have people that are still doubting us, but as long as the people in this room believe in each other, we're going to get it done," Douglas said in the locker room.

The Hokies (16-10, 6-6) got 25 points from Malcolm Delaney and 15 from Vassallo, but lost for the fifth time in seven games, further damaging their hopes of securing an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. Virginia Tech has four imposing games left - at home against North Carolina and Duke, and on the road at Clemson and then on the Seminoles' home court.

The loss was their fifth of the season by one or two points.

"It's bad," Delaney said. "Another game we let slip away to help us get to our goal."

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