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TALLAHASSEE - Seven years ago, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi did not have a basketball team. Monday night, the Islanders earned the program's signature victory, shocking Florida State 70-67.
Guard Travis Bailey, who befuddled the Seminoles all game and finished with 29 points, put up a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left. The shot hit the front rim, came off the backboard and rolled around the rim before falling through to put the Islanders ahead 68-65 and hush the crowd of 5,587 at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
"I was feeling it the whole game," said Bailey, who made 5 of 7 3s and had a game-high seven rebounds. "It felt good off my hands. Yeah, we got the good, lucky roll, but three points is three points."
FSU forward Al Thornton, who had 15 points, got a dunk with four seconds left to bring the Seminoles within one, but Bailey hit both free throws after a quick FSU foul. Todd Galloway's last-second 3-point attempt hit the back rim as Florida State (1-1) suffered its most embarrassing nonconference loss since dropping home games to Western Carolina and American in 2001-02.
FSU trailed most of the first half but finished with a 9-0 run to go up 36-32. The Islanders outscored the Seminoles 16-6 in the first nine minutes of the second half to negate the advantage.
The Seminoles, picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference and vie for an NCAA Tournament berth, were hurt by inexperience. Late turnovers and quick shots prevented the Seminoles from maintaining their one-point lead after Von Wafer made two free throws with 4:22 left.
"We learned a lesson," said Wafer, who scored 10 in his first game after missing the preseason and opener for undisclosed reasons. "Now we got to listen and put more emphasis on details and things they're trying to explain to us. I'm happy this happened. I think it brought us closer together and I don't think this will happen again."
For Texas A&M-CC (2-0), a program without conference affiliation, a win at Texas A&M last season is the only one that can compare with this last-minute triumph.
"This is our tradition," Islanders coach Ronnie Arrow said.
The Seminoles host Shawnee State on Wednesday in their second game in the four-team Corpus Christi Challenge before playing Kent State and Texas Christian this weekend in Corpus Christi.
B-CC 68, MAINE 67: Diondre Larmond hit a winning 3-pointer at the buzzer for the visiting Wildcats.
UT 80, FLA. MEMORIAL 74: Kevin Byrd scored 17 to lead four players in double figures for the visiting Spartans.
Information from Times wires was used in this report.