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Miller lifts No. 22 FSU over No. 24 UVA

Mar 2, 2012 - 3:53 AM Charlottesville, VA (Sports Network) - The Seminoles sure have a flair for the dramatic.

Ian Miller's three-pointer from the right wing with 0.8 seconds left gave No. 22 Florida State a 63-60 victory over No. 24 Virginia on the Cavaliers' senior night Thursday.

Miller's trey brought the Seminoles (20-9, 11-4 ACC) all of the way back from an 11-point deficit in the final minutes and gave them their third last-second victory of the season. They beat Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Michael Snaer's three-pointer at the buzzer, then Snaer drained another triple in the waning seconds to give the Seminoles a 48-47 victory against Virginia Tech in mid-February.

Miller followed the same script with a contested jumper from right in front of the Seminoles bench, snapping the visitors' two-game slide. He led the way with 18 points and Xavier Gibson chipped in with 12.

"We were very fortunate to come up with the victory tonight and make that play at the end," said Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton. "The team that had the ball at the end was probably the team that was going to win the game."

Mike Scott scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in his last home game, while Jontel Evans added 10 points for the Cavaliers (21-8, 8-7), who have dropped two straight in front of Sunday's trip to Maryland. They need a win to finish above .500 in the conference and solidify an NCAA tournament berth.

"It's not just one thing," Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said of the team's late collapse. "It's a turnover. It's not getting a stop and suddenly they score quick. I think a combination of those things happening."

The Cavaliers, who scored just five points in the final four minutes of the first half, rattled off 10 in the first two-plus minutes out of the locker room. Joe Harris' triple capped the surge for a 33-30 lead.

The two teams traded blows until Virginia seemed to take command nearing the five-minute mark. Florida State's Bernard James kicked a Virginia player after the two collided while going for a loose ball, he was ejected and Scott finished off four straight free throws that capped a 9-0 burst for a 58-47 lead.

However, the ejection seemed to rally the Seminoles, who pulled within 58-55 on Miller's trey with 3:15 to go, then Snaer again made it a one-possession game, 60-57, on a tough jumper in the lane. Deividas Dulkys brought Florida State all of the way back to even on his trey with 1:54 left, setting up Miller's game-winner just before the buzzer.

Sammy Zeglinski hit the backboard on a halfcourt heave at the horn.

Points were at a premium in the opening half, as Florida State made a concerted effort to foil Scott's offensive game. It didn't have much luck, as Scott scored seven of Virginia's first nine points. He scored four more points in the half, but the Seminoles started clicking on both ends, embarking on an 11-4 scoring stretch for an 18-11 lead. The margin hovered in that range for the rest of the half with the visitors holding a 29-20 advantage when the clock reached zero.

Game Notes

Zeglinski scored eight points in his final home game...Snaer totaled 12 points for the Seminoles...Florida State won both meetings this season by a total of six points and leads the all-time series, 21-17...The Seminoles locked up third place in the ACC with the win.