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Noles Hold Off Tigers' Rally

The Associated Press

Florida State's Chris Singleton is fouled while attempting a shot by Clemson's Raymond Sykes.

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By COREY CLARK

The Tallahassee Democrat

Published: February 28, 2009

Updated: 02/28/2009 11:22 pm

TALLAHASSEE - Once again, it was Toney Douglas to the rescue.

With Florida State clinging to a five-point lead in the final 20 seconds, Clemson's Demontez Stitt stole a pass and drove in for a layup. But the Seminoles' star guard, all 6 feet and 2 inches of him, rose up and swatted the shot away.

A few seconds later, he hit the two clinching free throws as No. 23 FSU knocked off the No. 12 Tigers, 73-66, in front a rocking crowd of 12,100 at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

"I was there," Douglas said. "And I knew that if I didn't at least contest it and let them score then we would only be up by three. ... I ended up blocking the shot."

In doing so, he added another memorable play to a season full of them.

Douglas scored a game-high 23 points, and hit six consecutive free throws in the final three minutes.

"I can't say enough about Toney," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "He has to be an ACC Player of the Year candidate. There's no doubt about that."

There should also be little doubt that the Seminoles, who are 22-7 overall and 9-5 in the ACC, have locked up a berth in the NCAA Tournament with their sweep of the Tigers (22-6, 8-6).

Not that it was easy.

Florida State grabbed a 12-point halftime lead and stretched it to as many as 18 with 15:46 remaining in the game.

"I thought we played a very confident game," Hamilton said.

But the Tigers wouldn't go away.

After Clemson's sophomore gunner, Terrence Oglesby, hit two 3s from Tennessee Street, and Raymond Sykes scored four consecutive points off back-to-back FSU turnovers, the Seminoles' lead was down to three with 3:30 left to play.

"We just had to settle ourselves," freshman Chris Singleton said. "We just had to regroup."

Which is precisely what they did.

Singleton finished with 10 points, all in the second half.

"Honestly, I'm exhausted," said Douglas, who played a game-high 37 minutes. "To let something like that slip away ... I don't know. I just think we deserved that win."

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