College basketball

Close doesn't pacify irked Seminoles

NO. 2 DUKE 97, FSU 96 (OT): A loss is a loss, even in a tight game with the Blue Devils.

By KEVIN BRAFFORD
Published February 5, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. - Moral victories don't cut it anymore for Florida State, and that attitude made for a somber - and sometimes even angry - locker room after Saturday's 97-96 overtime loss to No. 2-ranked Duke.

"We're past that point now," said senior Todd Galloway after the Seminoles fell to 13-6, 4-5 in the ACC while dropping to 0-14 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. "This was a game that was there for the taking."

Indeed. The ball was in Galloway's hands with less than 10 seconds to play in overtime and the Seminoles trailing 95-93. The 5-foot-11 guard drove to the basket, where he was met by Duke's 6-9 Shelden Williams.

There was contact, but no foul was called as Galloway attempted to get off a shot. The ball went out of bounds, with Galloway said to touch it last, a call he disputed.

"I was squared up with him and he kind of jumped with me," said Galloway of Williams. "I thought he got my elbow, then I thought the ball went off him."

Williams was fouled on the inbounds pass and made two free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining, allowing Duke to survive a Galloway 3-pointer as the horn sounded.

This was the rarest of games for the Blue Devils (21-1, 9-0) because J.J. Redick, the senior All-America guard, wasn't the best player on the floor.

While Redick finished with 36 points, his play was overshadowed by that of Florida State's Al Thornton. He dominated with a career-high matching 37 points, 15 rebounds - seven on the offensive boards - five assists and three steals, helping the Seminoles outscore the Blue Devils in the paint 64-26.

"This was one of the greatest individual performances in this building in the last five years," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He's a great player, one of the best in the country. We just didn't have an answer for him at all."

Thornton's effort and solid games from Jason Rich (20 points) and Alexander Johnson (13 points and 11 rebounds) kept the Seminoles in front most of the way.

But Florida State lost Johnson with 9:23 to play in the second half when he was whistled for an intentional foul on a shot by Williams (27 points, 13 rebounds), then both were assessed technical fouls as tempers briefly flared.

By rule, the technical foul also counted as a personal foul, which was Johnson's fifth.. The Blue Devils weren't whistled for another foul the remainder of the half.

"I thought A.J. was aggressive on the foul - I didn't have a problem with the intentional foul call," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "But I thought he backed off after that. I'll be interested in seeing that on tape."

A Thornton basket with 1:20 remaining tied it at 84. The Blue Devils had 3-pointers misfire from Lee Melchionni and Redick, and Thornton missed a contested runner in the lane and the game went to overtime.

The Seminoles led 91-89 in overtime when Redick went to work, nailing a short jumper to tie, then a 3-pointer from deep in the left corner - following a Isaiah Swann missed 3 - that put the Blue Devils in front for good.

"I thought they played with more energy than we did," Krzyzewski said. "They didn't want the game more, but they gave great effort. And Thornton was amazing."

But Florida State's junior forward left without the prize he coveted most.

"I felt great, and I was excited to play in this atmosphere," Thornton said. "But to play this hard and still not win, that's tough to take."

[Last modified February 5, 2006, 01:23:11]