Sports

College basketball

Comeback falls short for Seminoles against BC

Associated Press
Published January 15, 2006

---

BOSTON - Four games into its first Atlantic Coast Conference season, No. 15 Boston College finally has a victory.

"It was bothering us," said Craig Smith, who had 28 points and 14 rebounds Saturday to help the Eagles overcome a career-high 37 points from Al Thornton as BC defeated Florida State 90-87 for its first win since joining its new league.

"We got one today and we're feeling a little bit better."

Jared Dudley scored 25 for BC (12-4, 1-3), including a second-chance dunk that put the Eagles up 85-81 after the Seminoles (11-3, 2-2) hit two 3-pointers to cut a 14-point deficit to two.

Alexander Johnson hit a 3 with 2:07 left, and Todd Galloway made one with 1:17 left to make it 83-81. BC's Louis Hinnant drove to the basket and missed, but Sean Williams got the rebound passed to Dudley, who slammed it through.

"I was proud of our guys for fighting back at the end," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We just couldn't get over the hump."

Thornton scored FSU's final six points. He also had its first six - and 13 of its first 20.

The Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak and a three-game slide in the ACC as they start their first season since defecting from the Big East. They hit five consecutive 3-pointers early in the second half to turn a two-point deficit into a six-point lead.

"We didn't lose our composure," BC coach Al Skinner said. "We just settled down. We didn't at all panic. From a mental standpoint, guys weren't down on themselves."

BC trailed by 11 in the first half before opening an 80-66 lead with 5:36 to play in the first meeting between the teams.

Thornton had 17 points in the first half. In all, he was 15-of-18 from the field and 6-of-8 from the line to surpass the career scoring high he set in a victory over Alcorn State on Nov. 21.

"I have a lot of confidence in my ability to score, and the guys are getting me the ball," the junior forward said.

[Last modified January 15, 2006, 01:48:18]

[an error occurred while processing this directive]