Florida State Fights off Late Rally, Downing Miami Women's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2007
Coral Gables, Fla. – A four-point play by sophomore LaToya Cunningham (Vallejo, Calif.) brought the University of Miami women’s basketball team within three points with 23 seconds to go, but Florida State made all four free throws in the waning seconds to emerge with the 75-68 ACC win on Thursday evening at the BankUnited Center.
With the victory, the Seminoles improve to 17-5 on the season and a program-best 6-1 start in ACC play, while the Hurricanes drop their third straight to fall to 10-13 overall and 1-7 in the conference.
Renee Taylor (Harlem, N.Y.) got Miami’s offense going early, scoring the first six points for the Hurricanes, while Amy Audibert (Niagara Falls, Ontario) made her presence known with an early block and a pair of rebounds in a tough defensive battle between the in-state rivals.
But a 12-4 Florida State run pushed the Seminoles on top, 25-17, with 7:10 to go in the opening period. The Hurricanes responded with a seven-point outburst from Maurita Reid (Queens, N.Y.) and Miami would outscore its visitors, 15-5, over the remainder of half to take the 32-30 lead into the break.
The teams traded baskets and the lead after intermission, but a 10-0 FSU run late in the second half broke open the game for the Seminoles as they took the 66-56 lead with 3:52 to go. Miami tried to hammer away at the Florida State advantage, including three-pointers from Albrey Grimsley (Fort Pierce, Fla.) and Cunningham in the last two minutes, but it wasn’t enough as the Seminoles sealed the game from the line.
Reid led the Hurricanes with 26 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Taylor chipped in 21 points, four steals and three assists.
A pair of Seminoles finished with double-doubles, led by a 20-point, 10-rebound performance by Britany Miller. Jacinta Monroe added 11 points and a game-high 12 boards.
The Hurricanes continued to struggle on the glass, lagging behind 51-32 in rebounds. Although both teams shot just over 40 percent from the field, Miami didn’t fare so well from the charity stripe, connecting on just 6 of 12 free throw attempts.
The Hurricanes return to the hardwood on Sunday, February 4, at the University of Virginia. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
