Dec. 19, 2004

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By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - The No. 23/19 Maryland Terrapins went the extra distance in their league opener Sunday night against Florida State. After leading by 13 in the second half and then trailing in overtime, Maryland pulled out a gritty, heart-pounding 90-88 victory.

"That's a sign of things to come in the ACC. You're down, but never out," said Maryland junior guard John Gilchrist, who made two free throws with 6.6 seconds left in overtime to cap a 21-point, 13-rebound performance.

Gilchrist's free throws snapped a tie, but the victory wasn't certain until a 3-point attempt by Florida State's Von Wafer rimmed out.

"They never go away. They're going to keep fighting whether they're up 10 or down 10," said Maryland's D.J. Strawberry, who scored five of his 11 points in overtime. "They wore us down, but in the end we prevailed."

Six players scored in double figures for Maryland (6-2), which opened its league schedule last season by losing at Florida State. The Terrapins went 7-9 in the conference before winning the ACC tournament for the first time since 1984.

For a while, it appeared as if the Terrapins would again drop their league opener.

The Seminoles scored the first two baskets in overtime, but Strawberry answered with three free throws in six attempts, then scored off a steal to put Maryland up 85-84.

Wafer scored on a tip-in for FSU before Mike Jones hit a 3-pointer for Maryland, his only points of the game. Then, after Jason Rich hit a jumper to tie it, Gilchrist made his clutch free throws after being fouled by Al Thornton.

Florida State's Adam Waleskowski had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Thornton set career-highs with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but the Seminoles (5-5) committed 25 turnovers and missed 11 free throws.

"I thought Maryland pushed all the right buttons during the crucial parts of the game," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "When you turn the ball over 25 times, it's kind of tough to win against a team of this caliber. But on the positive side, it appears that this team is growing up a little and learning how to compete at this level."

The Terrapins led by seven points at halftime and 59-46 with 14:28 left, but Florida State used a 12-3 run to take its first lead, 79-78 with 1:38 left. The game went into overtime tied at 80 after Maryland's Nik Caner-Medley missed badly on a baseline jumper at the end of regulation.

Gilchrist recorded his second career double-double and led the Terrapins with eight assists, but his effort would have been for naught without those last two free throws.

"I was just thinking, 'I can't let the team down,"' he said.

FSU trailed by nine points before Waleskowski made a 3-pointer, two free throws and a layup in a 7-1 run that made it 66-63. Chris McCray then made two foul shots and Caner-Medley added a three-point play to ignite a 9-4 spurt that put Maryland up 75-67 with 5:28 left.

But the lead wouldn't last, in part because the Terrapins failed to make a field goal over the final 3:22 of regulation.

"It was tough out there, with guys hanging on with foul problems and guys playing out of position," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "We stayed tough and hung on, which is a great sign going into the ACC."