February 24, 2007

Derek Redd, Osceola
Warchant.com

When senior Al Thornton stuck a 3-point shot with 1:26 left against North Carolina State on Saturday, it signified his finale, not just for the day, but possibly for his career at the Tucker Center.

Thornton scored 17 points to lead Florida State past N.C. State 78-52 and end a five-game slide. Sure, he was FSU's top scorer once again, a fitting way to go out. But, for the first time in nearly a month, he wasn't the only one scoring.

Four Seminoles scored in double figures to give FSU (18-11, 6-9 in the ACC) a 78-52 win over North Carolina State.

It was the Seminoles' first win since February 4 against Duke and recaptured some of the momentum FSU lost in its late-season slump. It is momentum the team will need, since that skid made it essential for the Seminoles to win their regular-season finale at Miami and make a strong showing in the ACC Tournament to reach the NCAA Tournament.

"Obviously, it was a victory we really, really needed," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We realized we could play better basketball that what we've played. Everybody had to give everything they had. Our backs are against the wall and we can't afford any more slip-ups."

Hamilton praised his team's patience against N.C. State and its ability to make the extra pass, things that weren't happening recently. Because of that, Thornton had been forced to shoulder almost the entire load. He averaged nearly 22 points in his five games prior to Saturday, but those performances were all for naught.

Thornton said a one-man team sometimes can add up to zero wins.

"When we play together, we can easily get wins," he said. "When I have to go out and try to get 30, 35 (points) and 20 rebounds, I don't think we're efficient. When we're all on the same page, the sky's the limit."

Thornton, honored on Senior Day along with Jerel Allen, set the game's tempo on FSU's first possession, driving to the hoop for an emphatic dunk. The Seminoles were off to the races after that, outscoring N.C. State 10-2 in the first four minutes of the game and leading by as many as 26 in the second half.

"Our players played at a much more aggressive level today, and a lot of that was the result of the respect we had for North Carolina State," Hamilton said. "We recognized that if we didn't go out and be aggressive and be active, they could score points."

The Seminoles got a solid game from sophomore forward Uche Echefu, with 13 points and a game-high seven rebounds. It was Echefu's first double-figure scoring game since FSU's win over Duke and he and Ryan Reid also held Wolfpack forward Ben McCauley, averaging 14.7 points in his previous seven games, to just two points on 1-of-4 shooting.

Isaiah Swann and Ralph Mims each added 12 points, while Allen scored eight, including two first-half 3-pointers.

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