March 15, 2007

Derek Redd, Osceola
Warchant.com

The Florida State men's basketball team needed about nine minutes to go from frigid to fiery, and in the process, advanced to the National Invitational Tournament's third round for the first time since 1997.

The Seminoles at one point scored 15 consecutive field goals to pull away from Michigan and win 87-66 on Thursday in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament.

Florida State (22-12) now must wait until Saturday to learn who its next opponent will be. Mississippi State hosts Bradley on Saturday. If Mississippi State wins, the Seminoles travel to Starkville on Tuesday. If Bradley wins, FSU will host the regional title game on Tuesday.

It marks just the second time in school history that FSU reached the NIT's third round. The last time, the Seminoles defeated Michigan State in Tallahassee to ultimately make the tournament's title game, where they lost to Michigan.

For the first time this season, six FSU players scored in double figures, led by Toney Douglas and Isaiah Swann's 15 points each. At the beginning of the game, though, it didn't look like Florida State would have a good shooting night.

The Seminoles could muster just eight points in the first 8 minutes, 51 seconds of the game, hitting only three of 12 shots. FSU's shooting fortunes changed at the 11:09 mark, when Al Thornton flushed an alley-oop pass. The Seminoles hit 20 of their next 24 shots, including 15 straight between the end of the first half and the start of the second.

So the Seminoles went from a span of shooting just 25 percent to a span of shooting 83 percent.

"I had a feeling, but I didn't know it was that good," Swann said. "It felt good because we were moving the ball and playing so unselfishly. When we do that, we make a high percentage."

FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said his team's defensive intensity increased after that Thornton alley-oop, as the Seminoles swiped 15 steals.

"We generated some of that (offense) from our defense," Hamilton said. "When you can get out and run, you can get some easy baskets. But when we didn't get that, we were also patient in our half-court game. It made a difference in the quality of shots we got and we're a good shooting team, especially when we get good looks."

The Seminoles finished the game shooting 59 percent.

Meanwhile, Michigan, who hit four 3-pointers in the first 4? minutes and led 16-8, went stone cold. The Wolverines scored just one point in a 6?-minute span in the first half and hit only eight of 25 shots in the second half as Florida State's lead grew larger.

Michigan (22-13) didn't help itself in allowing Florida State to score 34 points off 21 turnovers.

"(Florida State) turned it up to a different gear," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "We couldn't handle the pressure. When those things happen, that's a foundation for disaster, especially on the road."

Thornton, Uche Echefu and Jason Rich each scored 11 points, while Casaan Breeden scored 10. Dion Harris led Michigan with 15 points, while Lester Abram scored 14.

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