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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Maryland coach Gary Williams didn't
talk about any other team in getting the second-ranked Terrapins to
play well at Florida State.
He didn't say anything to his players about Duke losing in
Tallahassee last month.
"We wanted to win this game for us," Williams said after the
96-63 win over the Seminoles on Wednesday night. "We don't use
Duke to get ready for us to play."
Juan Dixon scored 25 points as Maryland (24-3, 14-1) won its
11th straight game and clinched at least a share of the Atlantic
Coast Conference regular season championship and showed why it
could well be one of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament next
month.
"They're as good as advertised," Florida State coach Steve
Robinson said. "The way they played tonight they sure convinced me
they're playing just as good as anybody in the country."
The Terrapins used a 16-2 run to take a 22-9 lead were never in
trouble, holding leads of 30 points or more for much of the second
half.
Drew Nicholas added 15 points for Maryland, which shot 55.2
percent from the field, including 9-of-16 from 3-point range, while
Byron Mouton added 12 and Calvin McCall 10.
"We took this game seriously," Williams said. "We had to be
intense tonight. I thought the crowd could get into the game if we
let them hang around."
The Terrapins can clinch the ACC title outright on Sunday with a
victory over Virginia in the final game at Maryland's Cole Field
House.
"We're playing great basketball right now," said Dixon, who
was 8-for-13 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line.
"This is definitely the right time to peak."
Monte Cummings scored 17 points for Florida State (11-15, 4-11),
while Nigel Dixon added 15 points and 10 rebounds and J.D. Bracy
had 11 points.
Robinson, who is winless in five home games against Maryland,
was disappointed with his team's performance.
"You don't need to give them any advantages," Robinson said.
"They're like racehorses. That's exactly what they looked like
getting up and down the floor."
Florida State closes out its fourth straight losing season
Saturday against Georgia Tech. | 
