Florida State: 67 Maryland: 65
Maryland wasn’t going down without a fight, none the less, the Terps’ second round game against Florida State would serve as their ACC swan song. These two went right down to the wire, before Seminoles’ Boris Bojanozky took a bounce pass from Okaro White and slammed the ball home with 00.4 seconds remaining, giving FSU a 67-65 final lead.
This was the first win in five tries for Florida State over Maryland in the ACC tournament and it couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Seminoles are looking to improve their resume in hopes of securing an at-large NCAA tournament bid.
The Terps were visibly upset as they entered their post-game presser, expressing that they wanted to end their time in the ACC on a better note. It’s been a tough season for Maryland as they played closely contested games all season, but weren’t able to close them out. As they head to the Big 10 next season, head coach Mark Turgeon and junior guard Dez Wells spoke only fondly of their time in a league the university has been in since its inception.
9th seeded FSU will play Virginia in Friday’s quarterfinal. The teams played twice during the season, with the Cavaliers winning both contests.
Pittsburgh: 84 Wake Forest: 55
Wake Forest’s luck finally ran out against Pittsburgh. The Demon Deacons were saying that it was time to eat as they headed to the court for their second round game of the ACC tournament, but I’m sure this wasn’t the type of meal they expected. They were out-manned the entire game as they were beaten by the Panthers in every statistical category. Simply put, Pittsburgh was just the better team. The 29-point loss was Wake’s second-widest margin of defeat in the ACC Tournament.
In their inaugural season in the league, Pitt became the 7th school to win its first ACC tournament game and will face North Carolina in the quarterfinals. The Tar Heels won their only regular season meeting 75-71.
NC State: 67 Miami: 58
I must admit, this was the game I had circled for today. I expected a physical contest and an interesting battle between two teams with size and quickness. The final score doesn’t quite reflect the game, as this was an exciting match-up that was close until the final minute of play.
All eyes were on the ACC’s leading scorer, NC State’s TJ Warren, but it was Ralston Turner that impressed the most – hitting big 3’s every time the Wolfpack needed them. The junior guard finished with 22 points, one short of his season high.
After winning the tournament last season, the Hurricanes win streak was snapped at 4 as they lost for only the second time this season when shooting 40-49 from the floor.
With this win, NC State’s all-time tournament record is and impressive 68-50. The Wolfpack will play second-seeded Syracuse tomorrow. The Orangemen squeaked by 56-55 when the two met in February.
Clemson: 69 Georgia Tech: 65 OT
They say don’t judge a book by its cover. On the outside looking in, you’d think the second round game between Clemson and Georgia Tech would be a snoozer, but the Tigers and Yellow Jackets made it anything but. Bodies were constantly flying in this physical, overtime thriller. Both teams shot a mediocre 37%, but it was Clemson’s ability to make free throws and create turnovers in the end that sealed the game.
Georgia Tech ended the season with impressive wins against Florida State and Syracuse away, and Virginia Tech at home and the Yellow Jackets carried that momentum into the tournament, but in the end aided by a controversial offensive foul call, they ran out of steam.
Clemson will go on to face 3rd seeded Duke. Clemson won their only meeting this season 72-59.