Quote:Seminoles Upset No. 1 Blue Devils, 79-74
Florida State travels to face Miami in the regular season finale Sunday.

March 1, 2006

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida State beat No. 1 Duke for the second time in three years and the latest win had quite an ending.

Alexander Johnson's basket with just over a minute left broke the game's final tie and the Seminoles went on to a 79-74 victory over the Blue Devils. The fans stormed the court with the Seminoles leading 77-72 and 1.7 seconds left on the clock. The game was delayed several minutes until the floor could be cleared and Duke was awarded two free throws on a technical foul against Florida State for its players leaving the bench area.

J.J. Redick of Duke made the foul shots to make it a three-point game, but Al Thornton, who was fouled as the premature celebration began, made two free throws for the final margin.

The loss ended the run at an unbeaten Atlantic Coast Conference season for Duke (27-2, 14-1), who finish the regular season Saturday night at home against North Carolina.

Florida State (18-8, 8-7) beat top-ranked Duke 77-76 on Jan. 6, 2003, also in Tallahassee. The Seminoles nearly knocked off the Blue Devils, then ranked No. 2, on the road this season, losing 97-96 in overtime Feb. 4.

Thornton led Florida State with 26 points and Johnson added 22.

Redick was 10-for-28 from the field and had 30 points for Duke, while Shelden Williams had 20 points.

Johnson's go-ahead basket came over Williams, who was playing with four fouls. Johnson added two free throws with 27 seconds left after he was fouled by Williams. Another free throw by Andrew Wilson made it 77-72 just before the pandemonium broke out.

The score was tied five times and there were four lead changes. Duke took its first lead in the second half at 43-42 on a dunk by Williams and build the lead to seven points.

Duke went on an 11-5 run at the end of the first half to cut its deficit to 36-33. Redick accounted for eight in the run with his first two 3-pointers of the game and two free throws.