ESPN Women's Basketball

There are games that seem pivotal in the immediate rush after a team wins them. You know … we can build off this, we turned a corner, it's really going to help us.

Sometimes that adrenaline wears off, the next game comes, and it turns out to be a lot of hokum: The previous game really didn't make that big of a difference. But other times, the feeling that a few key pieces came together really is valid.

Which is why even when you're down 17 points against an unbeaten team known for its get-under-your-skin defense, keep battling. Because maybe you're going to climb out of that hole and end up with an eight-game winning streak.

That has happened for No. 20 Florida State, which is 5-0 for the first time in ACC history. Sixth-ranked Duke visits Tallahassee, Fla., on Thursday. The Blue Devils have won 27 of the past 29 in this series, so this is a real crucible for the Seminoles.

And while their current winning streak didn't start with beating Texas A&M, that was the linchpin game.

"It was a huge win for us, and the way that it happened was almost surreal," Florida State coach Sue Semrau said. "Our kids didn't give up, and I think they saw the benefits in that game. It wasn't just a moral victory, we got the actual W."

It happened Jan. 5; at the time, the Aggies were undefeated and ranked third in the country. And early on, they were putting it to the Seminoles, who shot just 20.8 percent in the first half.

In the second half, though, that percentage rocketed to an absurd 65.2. The Seminoles ended the game on a 20-3 run and won 60-53.

A loss to the Aggies -- especially a blowout loss -- going into the ACC season would have left the Seminoles wondering what kind of team they really were. Because there was reason to wonder about that going into the A&M game.

In November, the Seminoles had fallen to in-state rival Florida, which doesn't at all seem like a bad loss now. But then six days later, they lost to Valparaiso in a tournament at Colorado State. And that is a loss that looks worse in retrospect. So does a two-point loss to Washington at a December tournament in Cancun, Mexico.

But in their next game in Mexico, the Seminoles had a respectable 12-point loss to No. 1 Connecticut. That was followed by a victory at LSU, then one at home against Central Florida. The game with A&M was up next.

"That was a huge push into ACC season," Florida State senior Mara Freshour said of topping the Aggies. "It was something we knew we could do. The heart that we had to come back from 17 down -- it was a major gain in giving us confidence."

Freshour is a 6-foot-1 guard whom Semrau calls her "connect-the-dots" player. Freshour is from Nashville … but not the one that's the country music capital in Tennessee. Her Nashville is in south-central Indiana, a pretty little town jam-packed with artists and known for its many shops featuring all forms of art, crafts and antiques.

If there is a "positive stereotype" of basketball players from Indiana, it's that they truly understand the game. Freshour definitely does.

"She just has so much poise, and her confidence comes from the work she puts in," Semrau said. "She does everything for us."

Freshour and fellow guard Tanae Davis-Cain are the two seniors on the team, hoping to lead Florida State to its fifth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. The Seminoles have made noise in the past two. They upset Old Dominion and Stanford on the way to the 2007 Sweet 16. Last year, they nearly made it as far, knocking off Ohio State and then losing 73-72 to Oklahoma State on Andrea Riley's free throw with seven-tenths of a second left in overtime.

"We've had some ups and downs, but have continued to build every year," Freshour said. "This year, I feel like we've put the pieces together the best of any of the previous years. This is the most talented team, and we're all sticking to our guns. Everybody's playing their roles, and that's been an advantage."

In the role of leading scorer (13.5) and rebounder (7.9) is 6-4 junior post Jacinta Monroe, who had one of the more dominant defensive games of any ACC player this season with nine blocks in a Jan. 18 win over Georgia Tech.

Davis-Cain (11.9) and freshman post Cierra Bravard (10.4) also average double-figure scoring. Freshour is averaging 9.5 points. Sophomore Courtney Ward is tops in assists (4.2) for the Seminoles.

"Courtney at the point has really made strides since our nonconference season," Semrau said. "Which has allowed Mara and Tanae to be much better scoring threats. They just have the confidence now that they're going to get the ball in the right spots."

As for the interior game, Semrau says it's "coming along."

"We've got a pretty good three-post rotation now, and Cierra Bravard continues to improve for us," Semrau said. "Who are you gonna take away -- that's a big question for teams that have to face us now."

In Duke, the Seminoles will go against a squad that can be as stifling defensively as Texas A&M. But the Blue Devils have a stronger post presence. So it's probably an even bigger challenge for the Seminoles.

But Florida State is coming off an 80-75 win at Virginia on Friday and has had lots of preparation time for Duke.

It's also worth noting that the Seminoles' schedule is favorable: They still have to meet Duke, Maryland (Feb. 2) and North Carolina (Feb. 13) -- but all three games are in Tallahassee.

They will be difficult contests, of course. But thanks to their comeback against Texas A&M, the Seminoles can believe that for their hopes this season, a corner really has been turned.

Mechelle Voepel, a regular contributor to ESPN.com, can be reached at mvoepel123@yahoo.com. Read her blog at http://voepel.wordpress.com/.