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College basketball

FSU falls but puts scare into Terps

TALLAHASSEE -- Four points is all that separates Florida State from the season it is having and the season it could be having. Added to the list of couldas and shouldas was FSU's 74-72 loss to No. 16 Maryland Wednesday night.

The Seminoles could not hold on to a 67-65 lead with 3:33 left as the Terps showed their champion's mentality, hitting key shots and free throws in the waning moments.

FSU lost to Florida 58-57 on Dec. 6 and to North Carolina 61-60 on Feb. 8.

"Our team is developing more confidence toward winning games," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We cannot allow any discouragement from not being successful at this time."

Trevor Harvey had six of his team-leading 19 points in the final five minutes, but FSU went scoreless between Harvey's dunk with 3:35 left and Todd Galloway's layin with 17 seconds to go.

In between, senior Maryland guards Steve Blake and Drew Nicholas led the comeback. Nicholas got Maryland within one with a layup with 3:10 left, and Blake made a 3 and four free throws with less than 20 seconds to go.

"We were thinking that if we could hold them to one shot down the stretch that we would win," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "We had to stop fouling because FSU was at the two-shot fouls.

"This was a big win for the rest of the season."

Nicholas came out hot, hitting three 3-pointers in the opening minutes and scoring 11 of the Terps' first 17. As the Seminoles looked down the barrel of another ACC blowout, junior point guard Nate Johnson stepped up and showed that Nicholas wasn't the only one capable of hitting from beyond the arc. Johnson had a career-high four 3s to keep FSU within striking distance, and his fourth 3 tied it at 29 with 3:45 left in the first half.

Adam Waleskowski gave the Seminoles their first lead, hitting two free throws after drawing a foul from Jamar Smith on a drive to the basket.

The Terps grabbed the lead back when Blake made a 3 from the corner with just under two minutes to go. Chris McCray and Tahj Holden hit 3s with less than a minute to go as the Terps took a 38-33 halftime lead.

After the half, the Seminoles remained close, never letting Maryland take more than a four-point lead until late in the game and tying the score at 41 and 48.

"We were fighting the whole game and we stuck together," Johnson said. "We just fell short and just couldn't pull it out. It's real hard. We've just got to stay together as a team."

Nicholas had five points in a three-minute stretch as Maryland finally got some breathing room, taking a nine-point lead with seven minutes left.

Tim Pickett got FSU within five when he hit two free throws after a technical foul on Holden, and Harvey hit two turnaround jumpers to tie it at 63.

But Maryland again had an answer as Jamar Smith hit a runner in the lane to restore the lead.

Galloway hit two free throws to tie it again at 65. Trailing a fast break, Harvey followed a Galloway miss with a thunderous dunk that gave FSU a 67-65 lead with 3:33 left.

"This is testing our faith and character," Hamilton said. " We will find a way to overcome this period."

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