Hokies' NCAA Tournament Hopes Take a Hit
Florida State 63, Virginia Tech 53
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Monday, March 9, 2009
TALLAHASSEE, March 8 -- Florida State's Toney Douglas did it again Sunday.
The 6-foot-1 dynamo's second-half scoring eruptions all season have propelled the Seminoles into an opening round bye at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. He scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half to lead No. 24 Florida State to a 63-53 win over Virginia Tech.
A dozen of the points came in the minutes after the Hokies pulled to 45-42.
"I feel like I can score whenever I want," Douglas said. "I know what I'm going to end up doing. I had to take over."
The loss dealt a major blow to Virginia Tech's NCAA hopes. Coach Seth Greenberg could only shake his head about the player he said might be the league's MVP.
"Every time down the stretch he makes a play," Greenberg said. "I don't think there's been many times this season when he's had the opportunity to make a play that he hasn't."
And Greenberg had warned his players that Douglas would try to take over the game over after it got close.
"We knew they'd go to him," Greenberg said. "[And] he comes down and makes two three-pointers."
It didn't surprise Douglas's coach, Leonard Hamilton.
"I could see it in his eyes," Hamilton said. "He wanted this day to end right."
Douglas, the top scorer in conference play at more than 23 points per game, sparked the run that gave the Seminoles a 59-49 lead, and they cruised from there. He also led the team with three assists and a pair of steals, giving him 60 on the season.
Florida State (23-8, 10-6) led 32-25 after a ragged first half in which the two teams combined for 23 turnovers and the Hokies shot just 24 percent.
