Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals: No. 9 Florida State had as many turnovers as field goals against No. 1 North Carolina, leading to a 73-58 loss in the quarterfinals, likely planting the Seminoles in the NIT. Senior Al Thornton fouled out with about five minutes to go, finishing with 12 points to lead Florida State. Freshman Wayne Ellington led the Tar Heels with 18 points. Sophomore Tyler Hansbrough played with a mask to protect his broken nose, which he suffered Sunday against Duke when Gerald Henderson’s elbow slammed into Hansbrough’s nose on a hard foul that elicited an ejection and one-game suspension.
No. 4 Boston College survived another upset bid by No. 12 Miami 74-71 to earn a spot in the semifinals against North Carolina. Sophomore Tyrese Rice was phenomenal for the Eagles, who needed him to step up with Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall combining to shoot 5-of-19 from the field. Rice, on the other hand, delivered with 32 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including six three-pointers. The Eagles dug out of a 10-point halftime hole to force overtime.
No. 10 North Carolina State proved that it is not ready to give up its NCAA Tournament dream a day after beating No. 7 Duke in the opening round. The Wolfpack knocked off No. 2 Virginia 79-71, erasing a 14-point halftime deficit. The Wolfpack outscored the Cavaliers 53-31 in the second half and shot 53.2 percent for the game. Freshman Brandon Costner led the Wolfpack with 22 points, and senior Gavin Grant added 20. Sean Singletary led Virginia with 23 points, but his backcourt mate, J.R. Reynolds, struggled, shooting 3-of-15 from the field and hitting only one three-pointer. North Carolina State must play the other Virginia school in the semifinals.
No. 3 Virginia Tech looked like the fresher team against No. 11 Wake Forest in a 71-52 victory. Playing less than 20 hours after beating No. 6 Georgia Tech in a double overtime classic, the Demon Deacons stayed close with the Hokies during the first half, trailing by only two at the half. But Virginia Tech shut down Wake Forest in the second half, as sophomore A.D. Vassallo led the team with 22 points. Senior Kyle Visser was the only Demon Deacon to score in double figures, leading the team with 17 points. Wake Forest must hope that its late-season run will be enough to earn an NIT bid. [3/09/07]
