Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament: No. 8 Miami rained late three-pointers on No. 9 Clemson to steal a 66-63 victory despite trailing for most of the game. Freshman guard Denis Clemente hit a three-pointer with 50 seconds remaining to take the lead for Miami and complete a rally from 12 points down with 12 minutes remaining. Junior guard Guillermo Diaz led the Hurricanes with 22 points, and Miami won its first Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament game and the right to play No. 1 Duke in the quarterfinals Friday.
No. 12 Wake Forest pulled off a stunning 78-66 upset against No. 5 Florida State to advance to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals against No. 4 North Carolina State. The Demon Deacons got 25 points from senior guard Justin Gray, who helped inspire a second-half comeback. Senior forward Chris Ellis drained a go-ahead three-pointer with four minutes remaining, and Wake Forest pulled away down the stretch. The loss puts Florida State in jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament.
No. 7 Virginia completed a season sweep of in-state rival No. 10 Virginia Tech with a 60-55 win in the opening round. Junior guard J.R. Reynolds led the Cavaliers with 23 points, including a pair of free throws in the last few seconds to ice the game. The Cavaliers advance to play No. 2 North Carolina in the quarterfinals Friday.
No. 6 Maryland ended the first day of ACC Tournament action with an 82-64 blowout of No. 11 Georgia Tech. The Terrapins led by as many as 25 points as they slammed the Yellow Jackets to remain in the discussion for an at-large bid. Maryland plays a critical quarterfinal game vs. No. 3 Boston College Friday. Senior forward Nik Caner-Medley led Maryland with 20 points. [3/09/06]
