Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Opening Round: No. 9 Florida State set up a rematch with No. 1 North Carolina in the quarterfinals after beating No. 8 Wake Forest 70-60 in the opening round. Senior guard Jason Rich led the Seminoles with 21 points, as four of Florida State’s five starters scored in double figures. Florida State nearly beat the Tar Heels in Tallahassee but got blasted in Chapel Hill after saying the Seminoles were going to shock the world.
No. 5 Miami eliminated No. 12 North Carolina State in a 63-50 win in which neither team shot better than 36.7 percent from the field. Sophomore guard James Dews led the Hurricanes with 14 points, helping Miami overcome a dismal performance from junior guard Jack McClinton. He scored only eight points and none in the first half, and he averages 17.4 points per game. The Hurricanes will play No. 4 Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals.
No. 7 Georgia Tech used a 17-5 second-half run to take control of the opening-round game against No. 10 Virginia in a 94-76 win. Senior guard Anthony Morrow and senior forward Jeremis Smith scored 18 points apiece for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 57.9 percent from the field. If the Cavaliers do not play in the NIT, senior point guard Sean Singletary posted 20 points and 10 assists in the final game of his career.
No. 11 Boston College upset No. 6 Maryland 71-68 to kill the Terrapins’ NCAA Tournament aspirations. The Eagles got 19 points from junior guard Tyrese Rice, who hit two free throws in the final 10 seconds to give Boston College a two possession lead. Boston College started slowly, falling behind by 15 points. But the Eagles outworked the Terrapins, finishing with a 36-29 rebounding advantage despite Maryland’s post advantage with seniors Bambale Osby and James Gist. The Eagles will play No. 3 Clemson in the semifinals. [3/13/08]
