WASHINGTON–Day 2 of the ACC Tournament wrapped up early Thursday morning at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Day 2 of the ACC Tourney was one to remember with three riveting, one-possession games including an amazing 18-point comeback in the last 10 minutes of the second half. For a brief recap of all of Wednesday’s action check out the game summaries below.
No. 8 Pitt defeats No. 9 Syracuse 72-71
The Pitt Panthers hung on to beat the Syracuse Orange in a close Wednesday afternoon matinee. After seizing the lead for the first time in the game with a little over three minutes remaining in the second half, the Panthers never looked back. Despite facing a 14-point deficit early in the second half and being down 10 with 4:00 left on the clock, the Orange battled back to make the end of the game interesting.
The Orange were led by Michael Gbinjie and Malachi Richardson down the stretch, who combined for 15 points in the last 6:00 to bring the score within one point. However, the leadership and play of senior guard James Robinson, who had the Panthers’ last four points and finished with 12 for the game, and Cameron Johnson, who finished with 24 points off of the bench, proved to be too much for the Orange to overcome. The Panthers will face No. 1 UNC on Thursday.
No. 5 Duke holds off No. 12 NC State 92-89
In what seemed to be a defense-less shootout between two North Carolina schools, the Duke Blue Devils outlasted the NC State Wolfpack. The game was extremely close throughout, with the largest lead only extending to nine points. The game featured 18 ties and 20 lead changes and very little bench scoring, with both teams getting less than ten points from their bench players. However, the starters proved that they know how to put the ball in the basket at a high volume.
This game on Wednesday was the highest scoring game in the ACC Tournament in the last 20 years. Marshall Plumlee, who finished the game with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and a broken nose, Brandon Ingram and Luke Kennard, who both finished with 22 points a piece, paced Duke. On the other side, Anthony Barber, who battled through an elbow injury to finish with 29 points and 7 assists, and Abdul-Malik Abu, 19 points and 9 rebounds, led the Wolfpack. Duke goes on to play Notre Dame in the next round.
No. 10 Georgia Tech pulls off the upset against No. 7 Clemson Tigers 88-85 in OT
In what can only be described as an instant classic game for the ACC tournament, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets overcame an 18-point deficit with 9:25 remaining to tie the game at the end of regulation. In those last 15 minutes including overtime, the Yellow Jackets outscored the Tigers 41-23. Down the stretch, the Yellow Jackets relied upon the leadership of their point guard, Marcus Georges-Hunt, who knocked down a litany of big shots and served as a calming presence for the team throughout the game.
After the game, he said during every huddle he continued to encourage his teammates, saying they could get back in to the game one defensive stop at a time and one basket at a time. He also reminded his team to get to the foul line, where the Yellow Jackets shot 18/24 (.750) in the last 10 minutes. In addition to Georges-Hunt’s 28 points in 42 minutes, Georgia Tech also got big production from Adam Smith, who finished with 23 points of his own, including shooting 4 of 7 from three. The Yellow Jackets will go on to face the University of Virginia on Thursday night.
No. 6 Virginia Tech goes wire-to-wire against No. 11 Florida State 96-85
In a game that felt like it was being played in Blacksburg due to the overwhelming Virginia Tech crowd, the Hokies pummeled the Florida State Seminoles in the nightcap on Wednesday night. The 96 points put up by Virginia Tech set a new season high. Although the final score makes the game seem manageable, the Hokies were clearly in control from tip-off through the final buzzer. Every time the Seminoles made a push to bring the game closer, the Hokies responded with a combination of three point shooting and finishes at the rim to extend their lead.
The Hokies had four players finish in double figures, including transfer Seth Allen who led all scorers with 20 points off of the bench. Devon Bookert led the Seminoles with 19 off the bench. The Hokies seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. This win was their sixth straight conference win, a nice rebound after they lost seven of eight games just before this streak began. Virginia Tech will look to continue their streak against No. 3 Miami on Thursday night.
