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Jan 18, 2004
Box Score?|?Quotes |? Video Highlights and Postgame Comments
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Devin Smith scored all 21 of his points afterhalftime, including the first five in overtime Sunday, and Virginia gaveFlorida State its 18th straight ACC road loss, 76-67.
Todd Billet added 26 points for Virginia (11-4, 1-3 Atlantic CoastConference), which avoided its first 0-4 start in league play since they went0-5 in 1998-99, Pete Gillen’s first season as head coach.
Florida State (12-5, 1-3) lost for the fourth time in five game since an11-1 start. The Seminoles’ last victory on the road in the conference came inthe final game of 2000-01 at Clemson.
Smith, who had seven in overtime, and Billet, who had 18 points in thesecond half and overtime, combined for 39 of Virginia’s 51 points after theintermission in a game Gillen called a “must-win.”
Smith struck first in the extra period, making his fourth 3-pointer from theleft corner and then a 15-footer with 4:03 left to give Virginia a 70-65 lead.The Seminoles, who were 0-for-9 from the field in the extra period, didn’tscore until Tim Pickett’s free throws with 1:43 left.
Donte Minter’s two free throws and two more by Billet pushed Virginia’s leadto 74-67 and set off a celebration at University Hall.
Von Wafer led the Seminoles with 17 points and Michael Joiner and AnthonyRichardson each added 12. Florida State shot just 32 percent.
Billet’s sixth 3-pointer with 1:25 left in regulation gave Virginia a 65-64lead, but Adam Waleskowski, whose putback had tied it with 1:45 to play, hitthe second of two free throws with 1:12 left to tie it at 65.
Neither team scored again until the overtime.
Billet had a 3-pointer and three straight assists in a 16-2 run that gaveVirginia a 46-39 lead with 14:14 remaining in the second half. The first twoassists fed Smith for 3-pointers from each corner, and the last gave JasonClark an easy layup.
But the Seminoles came back right away as Wafer hit two 3s and completed athree-point play and Pickett scored on a layup and 3-pointer. The 14-7 FloridaState run tied the game at 53 with 8:36 left.