Atlantic Coast Conference Opening Round Recaps
No. 9 Clemson 84, No. 8 Maryland 72
That popping sound you may have heard emanating from Washington, D.C., was No. 8 Maryland’s bubble. Or maybe it was the sound of nylon after junior guard Shawan Robinson drained a three-pointer for No. 9 Clemson. And drained another one, and another, finishing with six three-pointers as the Tigers beat Maryland 85-72. Clemson won for the third time this season against the Terrapins, who are now at the mercy of the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
The defending ACC champions simply couldn’t get it done against Clemson. Maryland shot 35 percent from the field, and the Terps’ defense continued to allow the Tigers to shoot well. Robinson came off the bench to lead the team with 24 points. Maryland junior guard Chris McCray also scored 24 points, and junior forward Nik Caner-Medley added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Clemson moves on to play No. 1 North Carolina at noon Friday. The Tar Heels beat the Tigers twice during the regular season.
No. 7 North Carolina State 70, No. 10 Florida State 54
The greatest beneficiary of Maryland’s loss may be No. 7 North Carolina State. With the Terrapins’ Tournament bid no longer safe, the Wolfpack have an opportunity to make their case for an invitation with a win against No. 2 Wake Forest. To reach the quarterfinals, the Wolfpack took care of business against No. 10 Florida State 70-54. Junior forward Ilian Evtimov continued his recent hot shooting, hitting five first-half three-pointers and finishing with a game-high 18 points. North Carolina State also got 17 points from sophomore guard Engin Atsur and 14 points from senior superstar Julius Hodge.
Florida State’s offensive woes reared their ugly head as the Seminoles struggled from everywhere, but especially from long range. Florida State hit only 3-of-18 three-point attempts. Only senior swingman Anthony Richardson reached double figures, scoring 16 points in the losing effort. North Carolina State’s defense has played well lately, including in a tough loss to Wake Forest to close the regular season Sunday. The Wolfpack get another crack at the Demon Deacons, who will be without sophomore point guard Chris Paul because he is suspended after punching Hodge during Sunday’s game.
No. 11 Virginia 66, No. 6 Miami 65
No. 11 Virginia upset No. 6 Miami 66-65 to save coach Pete Gillen’s job for at least another day. But the game did more to prove that the Hurricanes are not an NCAA Tournament-worthy team than it did to prove that the Cavaliers are playing well. Sophomore guard J.R. Reynolds had a sensational game with a career-high 32 points, including five three-pointers, to help Virginia escape with the upset despite several bad turnovers late in the game.
Miami continued to rely on junior guard Robert Hite and sophomore guard Guillermo Diaz, who combined for 33 points. No one else reached double figures, and the team shot less than 32 percent from the field. Miami’s inability to hit shots saved Virginia, which did not find an offensive rhythm throughout the game. Barring another spectacular individual performance, the Cavaliers will end their season today against No. 3 Duke. The Blue Devils pounded Virginia in the teams’ only meeting at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
