Jan. 12, 2004
Box Score
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) - Led by Tasheika Allen's 25 points and Shante Williams
20 points and nine assists, the Florida State women's basketball team handed
Maryland its first ACC loss with an 82-77 victory over the Terrapins, Monday
night at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. FSU improved to 9-6
overall and evened its league mark at 2-2 while the Terps fell to 11-4
overall and 3-1 in ACC play.
The first half was nonstop action from the tip off. Allen was unstoppable
in the first couple of minutes. With the score tied at 4-4, Allen launched
and made a three-pointer as she scored FSU's next eight points including six
straight to give the Tribe a 10-4 lead at the 16:07 mark. FSU maintained a
lead, but the Terrapins didn't back down and kept it close. With the score
15-13 in FSU's favor, Allen hit another trey which began an 8-2 Seminole
run, giving the Tribe its largest lead of eight points at 23-15 with 9:12 on
the clock. Ganiyat Adeduntan, Genesis Choice and Williams also scored in
the rally but Allen suffered her second foul at 10:29 and had to sit the
rest of the half. Then it was Maryland's turn. The Terps went on a 12-2 run
and regained the lead at 27-25 with 6:07 left. The next five minutes of the
half saw four ties and two lead changes. With the score tied at 33-33, it
was the FSU freshman that made perhaps the play of the game. Ronalda Pierce
blocked a Kalika France three-point attempt and Williams charged down the
court and fed Alicia Gladden who hit a lay up and was fouled for the
three-point play. The Terrapins missed two foul shots on the other end of
the court and Pierce hit a jumper in the lane to put the Tribe up five.
FSU's Holly Johnson hit two free
throw shots after a Maryland techinical foul, giving the Seminoles a 40-33 lead with 23 seconds and that was
the halftime score. Although playing just eight minutes, Allen led all
players with 13 points. FSU shot 58 percent and outrebounded Maryland
20-17. Williams led all players with eight assists. Maryland shot 32
percent and had three players with six points apiece.
Maryland scored the first seven points of the second half to tie the game at
40-40, but the Seminoles refused to let the Terrapins regain the lead.
Williams hit two straight lay ups for Florida State but the Tribe couldn't
pull away and led by four or fewer points over the next eight minutes of the
game. Leading 59-56 at the 10:57 mark, the Seminoles scored seven
unanswered points, five of which were from the free throw line, to take its
largest lead of the game at 10 points, 66-56, with 8:34 left in the game.
But it was a game of spurts and Maryland was not about to back down.
France, a freshman, went to work for the Terps and scored six of Maryland's
next 11 points. The Terps' 11-2 run pulled Maryland to within a point at
68-67 with just under five minutes remaining. Williams then showed why she
earned ACC Co-Rookie of the Week honors. She scored eight of FSU's next 10
points as the Seminoles outscored the Terrapins 10-4 and led 78-71 with 27
seconds on the clock. Maryland hit back-to-back three-pointers in the final
21 seconds but the Seminoles hit four free throws to seal the victory.
Florida State shot 55 percent for the game while Maryland shot just 39
percent. Rebounds were knotted at 35-35. FSU was led by Williams and
Adeduntan, who had six boards each. France led Maryland with a game-high 26
points and seven rebounds.
