Colleges

Sluggish Seminoles wake up just in time

A late run helps FSU avoid a shocking loss.

By JAMEY GIVENS, Times Correspondent
Published January 6, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - For most of Saturday night, coach Leonard Hamilton pleaded with his team to move the ball on offense.

His Florida State team had been stagnant with the ball, and it trailed by nine with 7:14 left in the game to a La Salle team that had lost seven games this season.

But the Seminoles turned it on when it mattered most, using stellar free-throw shooting and a 10-1 run to erase the deficit and seal a 81-76 win over the Explorers.

"We're not going to have the luxury of doing that anymore for the remainder of our schedule," Hamilton said.

Down five with less than five minutes to play, Florida State took control. La Salle went more than four minutes without a field goal during the Seminoles' run.

"We are tired of being on the down side, and when we get in situations like we got in tonight we manned up," said Ralph Mims, who scored a career-high 19.

FSU (12-4) made 25 consecutive free throws to end the game and was 30-of-32 overall. Uche Echefu was 11-for-11 from the free-throw line, scoring a career-high 19 and pulling down seven rebounds. With Ryan Reid still suspended and Julian Vaughn and Solomon Alabi injured, Echefu logged 38 minutes.

Free-throw shooting "is one of my strengths, so I try to get to the line as much as I can," Echefu said.

La Salle (4-8) pulled within three three times in the last minute. But each time the Explorers scored to make it a one-possession game, the Seminoles calmly made their free throws.

"We needed them, and we stepped up to the line and knocked them down," Mims said.

"You don't expect them to miss when they are up there," La Salle coach John Giannini said. "Usually you get a few breaks, but they won the game at the line."

Jason Rich added 16 points and Toney Douglas had 13 for FSU. Isaiah Swann added 11 for the Seminoles, who now turn their attention to the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of their schedule. They travel to No.19 Clemson on Saturday and host No.9 Duke on Jan.16.

FSU 81

La Salle 76

[Last modified January 6, 2008, 00:38:39]