Hurricanes Knock Off ACC Front-Runners, No. 19 Florida State
Jan. 27, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Senior Yalonda McCormick hit a pair of free throws with 17 seconds remaining to clinch a 62-57 victory as the University of Miami women’s basketball team stunned No. 19 Florida State Thursday night at the Convocation Center.
McCormick, who led all scorers with 23 points, drove the lane with 34 seconds and scored while drawing a foul from Florida State’s (18-3, 5-2 ACC) Ganiyat Adeduntan to put UM (9-10, 1-5 ACC) up 60-57.
McCormick missed the opportunity for the three-point play and FSU’s Alicia Gladden grabbed the miss, setting up an open look from behind the three point line by teammate Alicia Gladden with 21 seconds left to play.
Gladden missed the shot from the top of the arc and UM sophomore Imani Dhahabu pulled down one of her seven rebounds
Florida State was forced to foul, sending McCormick to the line with 17 seconds showing for a second chance to put the game out of reach.
The Miami native capitalized on the opportunity, sinking the two game-winning free throws as the Hurricanes snapped a five-game skid and claimed their first ACC victory of the season with a 62-57 decision.
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“I was thinking that if I hit the free throws it was be hard for (Florida State) to come back and win the game.” Senior Yalonda McCormick on the game-winning free throws. |
“I was thinking that if I hit the free throws it was be hard for (Florida State) to come back and win the game,” said McCormick on the game-winning free throws. “But I was honestly also thinking that if I miss these free throws, I’m going to have to run in practice.”
The Hurricanes scored the first basket of the game on a lay up by senior Fallon Phanord, but Florida State took the lead just over a minute and a half later and would go on to lead by as much as 10 before taking a 31-28 lead into the half.
FSU maintained the lead for most of the second half until McCormick found junior Tamara James, who would finish with 18 points and five rebounds, for a jump shot to put UM up 52-51 with less than six minutes remaining.
Up by five points with less than two minutes to play, the UM lead was cut down to one following a bucket by FSU’s Alicia Gladden with 59 seconds remaining before McCormick’s, who also added seven rebounds in the win, basket sealed the victory over the ACC-leading Seminoles.
“Our kids really played their hearts out and we really needed this win,” head coach Ferne Labati said.
McCormick also recorded seven assists and four steals while, as a team, the Hurricanes turned the ball over just 13 times .
Florida State’s Adeduntan finished with a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds followed by Hodges’ 16 points.
The Hurricanes return to action Monday, January 31, traveling to Clemson, S.C. to take on ACC rivals Clemson at 7 p.m.
