THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 11, 1995 TAG: 9503110426
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB MOLINARO, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GREENSBORO LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Joe Smith didn't score his first field goal until 10:12 remained in the game, but Maryland's persistence, combined with Florida State's inept ball-handling, enabled the Terps to stumble into the ACC Tournament semifinals with a 71-64 victory.
Smith, who came into the game averaging 20.9 points, best in the ACC, was limited to two first-half free throws before he stole a Florida State pass midway through the second half Friday night and dribbled in for a layup.
It was an unusual way for the 6-foot-10 center to score. But, then, so was his second basket, a 3-point jumper from the left wing.
Maryland, ranked 10th nationally but slumping of late, made everything look hard against a team it handled easily twice during the regular season.
Smith finished with 15 points, hitting four of 12 from the field to go along with 16 rebounds. But until the final quarter of the game, he was not involved in the Maryland offense.
``I wasn't frustrated,'' Smith said. ``We were still in the game, and not looking to get blown out. I figured that the game would come to me, and that my teammates would start getting the ball to me down the stretch, and that's what happened.''
Down the stretch, Smith's 3-pointer gave Maryland a 51-49 lead. His presence was felt moments later when he blocked a Florida State shot at one end of the court, then tipped in a miss at the other, giving the Terps a four-point advantage.
Florida State led, 47-40, on a 3-pointer by Bob Sura, the senior guard who scored 22 points in his final collegiate game.
It was then that Maryland made its move, behind Smith and an aggressive full-court defense. Florida State cooperated with 10 second-half turnovers.
Another Smith basket, followed by two free throws by Keith Booth, and then two more foul shots by Smith gave Maryland a 10-point lead with 4:28 remaining. by CNB