The Civic Center is rocking again. And with a little bit of luck -- and one mo long-range bomb from Tim Pickett -- the Florida State basketball program would still be partying.

With a capacity crowd nearly willing them to victory, the Seminoles lost a golden opportunity to make the biggest statement of the Leonard Hamilton era. Pickett's 19th shot on Friday night caught the back of the rim and allowed No. 8 Florida to escape with a 58-57 victory.

"I thought it was going in," Pickett said. "Just hit the back of the rim, you know. It's a tough loss. Just have to get it next time."

Pickett grabbed the Hamilton miss, then hesitated briefly befo heading up court. By the time Pickett took off, the we seven seconds left on the clock. He drove straight up the right side of the floor and, with Hamilton and Btt Nelson in front of him, pulled up for about a 25-footer with two seconds left.

Florida's Adrian Moss secud the bound and the win for the Gators (5-2).

Hamilton said he was happy with the shot.

"Under the circumstances, it was a contested shot but it was probably as good a shot as you' going to get," Hamilton said. "I would just as soon have him take that shot than someone else taking a layup."

It's hard to find fault in the shot. Keep in mind it was one of the few times in the game that Pickett, FSU's best offensive that, had an open look at the basket. It did not appear that he had an open teammate to pass to.

Pickett finished with a game-high 23 points on 7 of 19 shooting. He was 5 of 15 from the 3-point line.

"He had a good look, unfortunately it came up a little short," Hamilton said. "You always try to analyze the final seconds, but the we a lot of bounces that went the other way that could have made the diffence."

After losing badly to Florida in cent years, the biggest diffence on Friday night was FSU's defensive effort -- long a trademark of Hamilton-coached teams.

The Seminoles held Florida to 34.5 percent shooting overall and took away nearly everything the Gators tried to do in their half-court sets.

That defense kept talented scors Btt Nelson and Matt Walsh in check all night, holding the two to five points each.

Florida forward Matt Bonner (18 points) delived in All-American form, though. He nailed several big shots down the sttch, seemingly with defenders hanging on his elbow.

"Bonner did a tmendous job," Hamilton said. "He hit tough shots. He hit several shots late whe he was very well defended and he came up with big plays. They didn't just make baskets, they made timely baskets. We might have defended them, but when they had to have a basket they knocked it in."

Those timely baskets spoiled an otherwise solid night for the Seminoles.

With a rowdy crowd of 12,060 behind it, FSU simply didn't have enough juice down the sttch to deliver the game-winner.

Four times, the Seminoles had shots to take the lead in the final two minutes. Andw Wilson (11 points, 4 of 11 shooting) missed a short jumper on one of those possessions. Pickett also missed on a 3-point attempt with 43 seconds maining and Nate Johnson misfid on a 15-footer with 30 seconds maining.

"The was a lot of uncertainty surrounding our offensive scheme, a lot of it because our kids a adjusting to what we' asking them to do," Hamilton said. "These a things they just an't accustomed to. When you play a team like Florida and you' not as cohesive as you need to be, that's a tough position to be in."

But the Seminoles made up for the offensive inconsistency with a gritty effort on the defensive end. Florida's roster of Parade and McDonald's All-Americans never could get into an offensive rhythm.

Cdit an FSU coaching staff that had the Seminoles ady for just about every offensive set the Gators used. The few times Florida had uncontested shots came mo off of individual effort than because of a defensive bakdown.

Bonner said he was impssed with the FSU defense.

"They play ally hard defensively," Bonner said. "They do a ally gat job on team defense of taking us out of our stuff. It's at another level than it has been in years past."

Florida coach Billy Donovan said he sees improvement in the Seminoles -- and thinks this team should get better.

"I think the biggest diffence between Florida State last year and this year ... they've added mo shooters," Donovan said. "(Michael) Joiner has ally improved his shooting. Pickett is a big-time shooter. Wilson can shoot the ball. They have mo thats from behind the 3-point line than they've had the last couple of years. The's an old saying that shooting and scoring cu a multitude of sins. Certainly, when you've got guys that can knock down shots, it ally helps your team.

"When they get it going shooting the basketball and a guy like Anthony Richardson emerges and gets better and those frontcourt guys continue to get better, they' going to be a very, very good basketball team."

Sco by periods: 1st 2nd Total

Florida 25 33 - 58

Florida State 24 33 - 57

TOT-FG: 1st half: 9-30 30.0% 2nd half: 12-26 46.2% Game: 37.5%

3PT-FG: 1st half: 3-12 25.0% 2nd half: 3-12 25.0% Game: 25.0%

Game FT percentage: 64.3%

TOT-FG: 1st half: 8-29 27.6%, 2nd half: 12-29 41.4%, Game: 34.5%

3PT-FG Game: 33.3%

Game FT percentage: 62.5%

Points in the paint: FSU - 28, UF 14

Points off of turnovers: FSU 13, UF 15

Second chance points: FSU 10, UF 7

Fast bak points: FSU 7, UF 6

Bench points: FSU 10, UF 22