Maryland
Florida State
Free Throws Seal Victory Over FSU in Women's Hoops
2/12/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Sophomore Chrissy Fisher made five free throws in the final 29 seconds, sealing the Maryland women's basketball team's 76-67 victory over ACC foe Florida State on Thursday night at Comcast Center. Fisher ended the evening with 15 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double, hauling down nine.
Maryland improved to 15-8 overall and 7-5 in the ACC. With one more win, the Terps clinch a .500 record in conference play for the first time since the 2000-01 season. They currently stand alone in third place in the ACC, a game ahead of NC State who is 6-6 in conference play after defeating Clemson Thursday night, 76-55. The Seminoles drop to 12-11 and 5-7 in conference action.
As it had against Wake Forest on Monday night, Maryland jumped out to a big lead early on, using a 16-4 run to go ahead 25-11. Freshman Kalika France (Forestville, Md./Bishop McNamara) scored nine of her team-high 16 points during that span. But FSU charged back with a 17-6 run of their own, including scoring the final six points of the half, trailing just 34-31 at the break.
The Seminoles scored the first two points of the second half on free throws from Lauren Bradley, coming to within 34-33. The Terps briefly lost the lead after pushing the advantage back up to a five-point margin as Florida State's Shante Williams assisted on the ensuing two baskets then swished a jumper putting her team ahead for the first time, 39-38. With 15:00 left in the game, Maryland regained the lead on freshman Shay Doron's (Great Neck, N.Y./Christ the King) layup. Doron went on to tally 10 of her team-high 16 points, tying with France, over the next eight minutes.
Clinging to a one-point lead at 54-53 with 5:22 left to play in the game, the Terps outscored FSU 12-2 over the next three and a half minutes, stretching their lead to 66-55. Florida State would not go away, however, using fouls to get to within 69-66 with 34 seconds remaining. Fisher's 5-for-6 shooting from the charity stripe and two free throws from France iced the win in the final 29 ticks.
France also added seven rebounds to her 16 points. Senior Crystal Washington (Clinton, Md./Bishop McNamara) posted the fourth double-double of her career and of the season, netting 12 points and grabbing a career-high tying 11 rebounds. Senior Delvona Oliver (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) was a bucket away from a double-double, notching eight points and 10 boards.
Led by the dominating performances of Washington and Oliver, the Terps outrebounded FSU, 48-36. Maryland is 14-0 when outrebounding its opponent.
Bradley paced the Seminole attack, recording a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Williams added 15, while Taskeika Allen had 14 points.
The Terps hit the road to face Georgia Tech on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. Maryland defeated the Yellow Jackets earlier in the season at Comcast, 91-87.
-- TERPS --
