COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Florida State Gets Past Duke in Overtime

At 6 feet 10, Byron Wells is not known as a three-point threat for Florida State.

But he might be from now on.

Wells’ three-point basket with 3.6 seconds to play in overtime Sunday gave Florida State an 89-88 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over No. 6 Duke at Tallahassee, Fla.

It was the fifth consecutive ACC victory for Florida State (13-5, 5-1 in the ACC) and its first over the two-time defending national champion Blue Devils.

Duke (13-3, 3-3) has already lost more games than it did all last season, when the Blue Devils finished 34-2.

“I don’t judge things based on wins and losses,” Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We judge things based on effort. I thought our effort was outstanding.”

Wells entered the game having made only three of 13 three-point attempts. His game-winning basket completed a game in which he made all four of his shots, including two three-point attempts.

“It’s something I’ll be able to tell my grandkids about,” Wells said. “I knew I had to take the shot.”

Wells was in the game as a replacement for Douglas Edwards, who fouled out late in regulation with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Wells scored Florida State’s final five points and stole a pass from Bobby Hurley with 20 seconds to play in overtime to set up the winning basket.

“When he (Edwards) fouled out, I knew I’d have to step it up,” said Wells, a fifth-year graduate student at Florida State.

Florida State had set up its final play for Sam Cassell, who was unable to get free. Wells wound up shooting from the corner with 6-11 Cherokee Parks’ hand in his face.

Grant Hill, who fouled out in the opening minute of overtime, led Duke with 25 points. Hurley scored 22 and Parks added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Blue Devils.

Florida State rallied from deficits in both halves to win its fifth consecutive game since point guard Charlie Ward returned to the starting lineup after the football season. Ward, a quarterback, was ACC player of the year in football.

Ward, who led the ACC in steals last season, knocked the ball out of bounds in the final seconds of regulation to keep Duke from getting off a shot with the game tied 80-80. He also intercepted the inbounds pass at the end of overtime as Duke tried to get a desperation shot off in the final 2.7 seconds.

No. 2 Indiana 96, No. 24 Ohio St. 69--Calbert Cheaney scored 27 points, including eight during a 19-2 second-half run by the Hoosiers in a Big Ten Conference game at Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana (17-2, 6-0) led at halftime, 40-32, and extended its advantage to as many as 32 points late in the game.

Two free throws, a field goal and a fast-break layup by Cheaney started Indiana’s run. After a basket by Ohio State’s Derek Anderson, the Hoosiers scored 13 consecutive points for a 68-43 lead. Ohio State (9-5, 2-3), which lost its third straight Big Ten game, got no closer than 23 points after that.

No. 3 North Carolina 70, No. 10 Seton Hall 66--The Tar Heels forced Seton Hall into a season-high 23 turnovers during the nonconference victory at East Rutherford, N.J.

Eric Montross scored eight of his 13 points during the closing minutes as North Carolina (16-1) extended its winning streak to eight games and ended Seton Hall’s 17-game home winning streak.

North Carolina trailed at halftime, 32-30, but made 14 of 22 shots in the second half.

Terry Dehere scored only 10 points for Seton Hall (15-3).

OTHER GAMES

Louisville (9-5) used a 16-0 first-half run en route to an 85-59 nonconference victory over Arizona State (8-5) at Louisville, Ky. . . . Wake Forest (11-3, 3-2) made 11 of 17 three-point attempts during a 74-56 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Clemson (9-5, 0-5) at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Steve Worthy scored 20 points and led a 22-8 second-half run as Rutgers (9-7, 2-2) defeated Temple (8-5, 3-3), 80-72, in an Atlantic 10 Conference game at Piscataway, N.J. . . . Center Lou Roe scored 11 points during the final two minutes to lead Massachusetts (11-4) to a 79-69 nonconference victory over DePaul (9-8) at Worcester, Mass.

Scott Stewart made 13 free throws during the final five minutes to lead Florida (10-5, 4-2) to an 80-68 Southeastern Conference victory over Tennessee (9-7, 1-4) at Knoxville.