College basketball

FSU losses getting more excruciating

GA. TECH 76, FSU 75: Last-second free throws push skid to six.

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published February 21, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - For a few moments, Florida State sophomore forward Al Thornton gleefully pumped his fists.

He had just hit a tough baseline turnaround jump shot that capped a remarkable comeback Sunday afternoon against Georgia Tech.

"I thought that was the game-winner," he said.

But moments later, Thornton lay face down, angrily pounding those same fists onto the floor. And Seminole fans should have seen that reaction coming. FSU's M.O. this season has been contrasting snapshots.

This time, it was left to Yellow Jackets point guard Jarrett Jack to save a loose ball and fling it blindly to star guard B.J. Elder, who drew a foul and hit both free throws with .4 seconds left for a 76-75 win before a stunned 7,542 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.

The Yellow Jackets nipped FSU 64-61 Feb.2 in Atlanta on a last-second 3-pointer, one of the Seminoles' six ACC losses by a total of 10 points.

Throw in losses to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas Christian by a combined four points, and that's the difference between having a postseason life and riding a six-game skid.

"We can't wonder when it's going to happen, we have to make it happen," junior guard Todd Galloway said of winning a close one. "We obviously know that we can play with anybody if we come with intensity and the (right) attitude."

It looked like this would be it.

The Yellow Jackets (15-8, 6-6), who reached the NCAA finale last season but desperately needed a win to enhance their credentials for at-large consideration, led 71-59 with 7:15 left when Thornton led a furious rally.

Making his first start as coach Leonard Hamilton looked for a different lineup to "energize some guys, motivate some others," Thornton scored eight of his team-high 20 in a 16-3 run that culminated with his shot over 7-1 senior center Luke Schenscher with 9.7 seconds left.

"I felt that was the dagger," he said.

Jack took the inbounds and raced upcourt, but Galloway and beat him to the spot where Jack looked to angle toward the rim. That caused Jack to stumble and lose the handle.

Scrambling toward the baseline to retrieve the ball, Jack flung it back toward, well, who knew where. It sailed by Thornton's hand to Elder in the paint.

"It was just a case of me being in the right place at the right time," said Elder, who was making his first start in his third game back from a strained left hamstring that sidelined him for a month. "I'm not sure who he was throwing it to, but it just happened to fall in my hands."

As he tried to get the ball up and beat the clock, he said he felt a hit on his left arm. Coach Paul Hewitt thought he saw it happen. Hamilton wasn't sure but said he looked forward to watching and evaluating the tape, though he can't comment on what happened next: a whistle and foul called on junior forward Andrew Wilson.

"I just tried to relax, take a deep breath, say a little prayer and knock them down," said Elder, who finished with 22 points. "I felt confident the whole time."

Why shouldn't he have? A narrow loss is nothing new for FSU (11-15, 3-9).

"Six games by 10 points; that means it could have been one rebound, it could have been on free throw, it could have been one block out, one more contest(ed shot)," Hamilton said. "I'm hopeful these painful losses, these painful situations that we are in will serve as an accelerated growth curve for these youngsters."

[Last modified February 21, 2005, 01:32:19]