#1 UVA 58 vs. #9 Florida State 44
The Virginia Cavaliers are advancing to their first consecutive #ACCTourney semifinals for the first time since the 1994-95 season. Justin Anderson made his long awaited return after missing eight games due to injury. The Cavaliers came out on fire on offense, running out to a 14-2 lead only 5 minutes into the game. The Cavaliers led the Seminoles 34-17 by halftime, but in the 2nd half, the Seminoles responded with a run of their own.
The Seminoles started the second half on a 17-5 run and cut the Virginia lead to 34-39 with 10:27 left. UVA regained their composure and momentum thanks in part to 9 assists from point guard London Perrantes. It was a tale of two halves for the Virginia Cavaliers, who shot 63% in the first half and 33% in the second. Junior Malcolm Brogdon didn’t score his first field goal until 9:41 remaining in the game, he finished with 10 points. This game does mark the 15th time Virginia has held an opponent to less than 50 points so, the defense prevails.
#5 North Carolina 70 vs. #4 Louisville 60
It looked like the Louisville Cardinals’ debut in the #ACCTourney would be a positive experience, but the Tar He.els had other plans. Down 37-32 at halftime, the Tar Heels came back in the second half to seal the victory. The Tar Heels outscored the Cardinals 38-23 in the second half. Brice Johnson led the way for the Tar Heels with 22 points and 7 rebounds while fellow guard Marcus Paige had 13 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
The Cardinals left much to be desired by the time the game was over, only making 2 field goals in the last 7:28 remaining in the game. Quentin Snider was 2-9, Terry Rozier was 6-20, and Wayne Blackshear was 6-16. The Cardinals shot 34.9% from the field for the game and were 4-22 from the 3-pt line. Montrezl Harrell was the lone bright spot in what was another inconsistent offensive performance from Louisville.
#UNC will face #UVA in the #ACCTourney Semifinals on Friday at 7 pm.
#2 Duke 77 vs. #7 NC State 53
In the rematch, the Duke Blue Devils proved to be too much for the Wolf Pack. Duke jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, scoring on 22 of their first 26 possessions. Balanced scoring and solid defense were key in a game that was never close from the tip. Quinn Cook led the way for Duke with 15 points. Grayson Allen and Marshall Plumlee combined for 23 points off the bench. Plumlee had a career high 12 points and was 6-6 from the field.
The Wolf Pack shot just 35.7% from the field and were down by as many as 30 points. It was the most lopsided loss of the season for NC State and a game they wish to quickly forget. The score was 49-22 at halftime where the Wolf Pack made only 8 total field goals. Cat Barber went 0-7 in the 1st half before he was lost in the 2nd half after taking a hard inadvertent blow to the head on a screen by Duke’s Amile Jefferson.
#4 Notre Dame 70 vs. #6 Miami 63
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are in the #ACCTourney Semifinals. It looked like the Hurricanes wouldn’t put up much of a fight but they fought until the end. Angel Rodriguez led the charge for the Canes with 15 points off the bench. Tonye Jekiri had his 11th double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but it still wasn’t enough.
The Fighting Irish starting five all scored in double figures. Jerian Grant scored 13 points to go with 6 assists and 6 rebounds while guards Steve Vasturia and Pat Connaughton combined for 7 three pointers and 30 total points. Notre Dame led at halftime 43-25 but gave up the lead with 6:30 remaining. They regained the lead for good by closing the game on a 12-3 run.
Notre Dame will face Duke in the #ACCTourney Semifinals on Friday at 9 PM.
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