Colleges

FSU stays on an even keel to pull away

Second-half surge is key

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published December 19, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton didn't have to get after his guys for their somewhat lethargic, sloppy play at halftime Monday night.

Yes, the smaller High Point Panthers had outrebounded his team. Yes, his Seminoles saw their turnovers turned into easy points. Yes, his team was clinging to a tenuous lead.

"We don't have the type of talent on this team that if we don't come out and play with a tremendous amount of energy, we're not going to struggle," he said.

He didn't need a raised voice to convey what he wanted. FSU heard his message clear enough, turning up its intensity and blowing out High Point 81-64 in front of an announced 6,010 at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

The Panthers 7-5 looked like a team hardened by a daunting road schedule (Cincinnati, Maryland and North Carolina) and ready for an upset. The Seminoles (9-2) needed senior forward Al Thornton's 3-pointer in the waning seconds just to have a lead, 43-41, at the break.

"He just told us they were outplaying us," said Thornton, who scored 22 to move into 37th in FSU history with 1,011.

"He was calm and just talked to us about what we had to do," echoed sophomore center Uche Echefu, who had his first double double (11 points, 12 rebounds) and the team's first this season.

Still clinging to a 45-44 lead early in the second half, the Seminoles did what Hamilton had said, got after it and hit the Panthers with a 28-2 run.

"They rattled us with their pressure and we lost our composure," High Point coach Bart Lundy said.

Enough said.

Brian Landman can be reached at landman@sptimes.com or at (813) 226-3347.

[Last modified December 19, 2006, 01:42:29]