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KEVIN BRAFFORDAfter leading almost all game, FSU collapses late and falls to No. 11 Wake 90-87 in OT.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Of all Florida State's defeats in an ACC road streak that stands at 23, none had the sting of Wednesday night's 90-87 overtime loss to No. 11 Wake Forest.
In the past 22, the Seminoles were beaten. This one they gave away.
Five turnovers in the final three minutes of regulation sucked the life out of the 'Noles (18-10, 6-8), who led 75-66 after Michael Joiner's only points, two free throws with 3:09 left. The Demon Deacons (18-6, 8-5), who trailed by 15 with 12 minutes left, caught up for the first time at 75 on a Justin Gray free throw.
Neither team scored in the final 1:19, and the poor finish hinted that FSU's third overtime game of the season - the 'Noles lost at Virginia, then beat North Carolina at home in a four-day stretch in mid January - wasn't going to have a favorable result.
Freshman Chris Paul gave Wake Forest its first lead with the opening basket of overtime, and after Nate Johnson countered with a 3-pointer for a 78-77 FSU advantage, two Eric Williams free throws and a Gray 3-pointer - the sophomore guard finished with a game-high 31 - provided the Demon Deacons with a four-point cushion.
Five points from freshman forward Alexander Johnson sandwiched around a Gray free throw tied the score at 83, but again Gray burned the 'Noles, this time with his fifth 3-pointer with 1:25 to play.
Adam Waleskowski made a difficult running one-hander to make it 86-85, but the 'Noles couldn't get the stop they needed as a defensive breakdown left Williams alone for a dunk with 15 seconds left and the shot clock at 1 second.
Nate Johnson scored for FSU with 4.7 seconds left, but Paul made two free throws after Tim Pickett was forced to commit his fifth foul. Needing to go the length of the floor with 4.3 seconds to play, the 'Noles actually got a decent look at forcing a second overtime, but Von Wafer's 30-footer clanged off the front rim.
"All we needed was to make one more play," said Pickett, who led the 'Noles with 23 points. "One more play from me or anybody else and this game was ours."
The 'Noles couldn't have asked for a better first 20 minutes. Pickett made four of FSU's seven 3-pointers on his way to a 16-point half, Alexander Johnson maneuvered inside for eight points while drawing fouls on four Demon Deacons and Waleskowski came off the bench to add 11 of his 16 points.
FSU shot 50 percent for the half and totaled five turnovers compared to 39.3 percent and 10 for Wake Forest. Together, it spelled a 47-34 lead for FSU.
"They had us on our heels," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said. "I tell our kids that these teams fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives are going to going to give you their best shot, and they did."
Though FSU's meltdown late in regulation stood out, coach Leonard Hamilton said its offensive breakdowns earlier caused as much damage.
"In the middle of the second half, we had too many empty possessions," he said. "They increased their defensive pressure and put us in a position where we had to make plays, and we didn't."
That seventh conference victory, the one most experts feel will get an ACC team in the NCAA Tournament, remains elusive with two chances left, starting against No. 3 Duke at 8 p.m. Sunday.
"That's what we've got to look at it now, Duke coming to our place," Pickett said. "You can't look back; you just have to keep looking forward."