Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 14, 1992 TAG: 9203140284
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
"We're probably going to have the layoff every year if I can schedule it that way," the coach said after his Florida State team raced past North Carolina State 93-80 at the Charlotte Coliseum.
It was the first ACC Tournament game for the Seminoles, who finished second in the conference in the regular season and were no less impressive Friday night, shooting 63.9 percent (39-of-61) from the field.
Florida State (20-8) had six scorers in double figures. The Seminoles will play in the semifinals today at 3:30 p.m. against North Carolina.
"I said a long time ago that they were a better basketball team than a lot of teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference," N.C. State coach Les Robinson said. "I'd pick them to win the conference next year."
N.C. State (12-18) led 37-30 with less than five minutes remaining in the first half, but the Seminoles came back and led 43-40 on a Sam Cassell 3-pointer at the buzzer.
N.C. State had been holding for the last shot with the score 40-40, but Rodney Dobard stripped the ball from Donnie Seale in the lane and fed Cassell on the break.
"It happened so fast," Robinson said. "A tie would have been nice. We shot a little bit quick and finished with the worse possible scenario. It knocked us out.
"They are able to play the up-tempo, fast-paced basketball for 40 minutes. We're only able to sustain that pace for about three minutes at a time."
N.C. State was within sight of Florida State at 53-47, but the Seminoles' withering fast break produced an 18-3 run over the span of 3:48.
Dobard had four field goals during the spurt, and none was from more than 2 feet. The Seminoles finished with seven dunks, four by Douglas Edwards, who finished 10-of-11 from the field.
The Seminoles also contained N.C. State senior Tom Gugliotta, who came into the game with a 22.9-point average but made only six of 16 shots and finished with 15 points.
"All the guys who played Gugliotta did as Coach [Kennedy] told us to do," Edwards said. "He told us to face-guard Gugliotta and not watch the ball."
The only time Gugliotta failed to score in double figures all season was when he had seven points against the Seminoles in a 98-76 loss in Tallahassee, Fla.
"I was watching Clemson play a box-and-one against [Maryland's] Walt Williams in the first game, and they were playing about six or seven feet off him," Kennedy said. "When you play a special defense on someone, you need to get about three inches from his face."
Florida State fans had a scare when Cassell limped off the court with 5:19 remaining, but it was merely a recurrence of the cramps that plagued him early in the season. He is expected to play this afternoon.
The Seminoles were encouraged by the return to form of starting point guard Charlie Ward, whose effectiveness had been reduced by sore feet late in the season. Ward was 6-of-7 from the field and finished with 13 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals.
"The one great benefit of this layoff was Charlie Ward is back to his beginning-of-the-year quickness," Kennedy said. "That means a lot of good things for us." \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FLORIDA STATE'S RODNEY DOBARD HANGS ON THE RIM AFTER DUNKING OVER
N.C. STATE'S MARK DAVIS. AP
by CNB