ACC Tournament quarterfinals live updates: NC’s Big Four in action in Washington, D.C.
It’s Quarterfinal Thursday at the ACC Tournament, and the News & Observer team has you covered, from opening tip to final buzzer.
Wednesday provided plenty of drama, with lower seeds winning three of the four games. That included N.C. State’s upset of Syracuse, a team to which it lost twice during the regular season, and the nightcap in which Boston College flummoxed Clemson.
That all set up a quarterfinal slate that, for the second year in a row, includes North Carolina’s Big Four — UNC, Duke, N.C. State and Wake Forest.
UNC, seeded No. 1, kicked things off first by pummeling No. 9 seed Florida State, 92-67.
Keep it right here for updates and behind-the-scenes offerings throughout the day.
Tar Heels handle their business
UNC played like the tournament’s top seed, and perhaps a No. 1 NCAA Tournament regional seed, by hammering Florida State to advance to Friday’s semifinals
The Tar Heels led for all but two minutes, 31 seconds of play, didn’t trail after the 9:48 mark of the first half and led by as many as 19 in the first half.
RJ Davis scored 18 points, while Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan each scored 14 for the Tar Heels.
Bacot and Harrison Ingram each grabbed 10 rebounds as UNC gained a dominant 48-22 rebounding edge over the Seminoles.
After resounding start to ACC Tournament, UNC appears serious about being serious
Creighton Lebo does the honors
RJ Davis led UNC against Florida State, while Armando Bacot added a double-double. Neither added the sticker to the giant bracket outside the Tar Heels’ locker room.
Instead, Bacot and Harrison Ingram — who said he couldn’t do it because he’s a transfer — appointed senior Creighton Lebo to do the task.
Lebo, son of UNC assistant coach Jeff Lebo, played one minute and contributed a steal.
“It was fun. It’s always good to get that next one and move up in the bracket,” Lebo said. “It was cool to get to go put the sticker on. I appreciate those guys letting me do that.”
FINAL: Carolina wins, 92-67
Creighton Lebo does the honors. pic.twitter.com/HzjogVw0Lw— Jadyn Adams (@jwatsonfisher) March 14, 2024
Going back to basics, Bacot goes old school to set new tone for UNC in ACC Tournament
Cormac = Future feline fan?
Cormac Ryan has never had a cat, nor is he a “huge pet guy.”
(Note: That’s a red flag, if we’re being honest, but this is coming from someone with an “Adopt a cat” sticker on their tumbler.)
His best friend, however, recently rescued a stray gray cat. Maybe when the Tar Heels are done with their postseason run, Ryan can expand his animal expertise.
“He seems to like it. I’ll be open-minded toward it.”
Pitt sends Wake home
No. 4 seed Pittsburgh received 30 points from ACC Sixth Man of the Year winner Ish Leggett and 20 from first-team all-ACC guard Blake Hinson to defeat No. 5 seed Wake Forest, 81-69.
While the Panthers (22-10) helped their chances for an NCAA Tournament bid, Wake (20-13) saw its diminished.
Pittsburgh led 38-26 at halftime and extended its advantage to 19 early in the second half. Wake Forest rallied to trail by three points on two occasions in the final five minutes but couldn’t erase the deficit.
The Demon Deacons were considered in solid shape for their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2017 back on Feb. 24, when they beat Duke, 83-79. But Wake has lost four of six games since then.
Wake’s NCAA hopes take a hit. Three takeaways from Pitt’s ACC Tournament win over Deacs
NC State upsets Duke
The No. 10 seed Wolfpack (20-14) upset No. 2 seed Duke (24-8), 74-69, becoming the first double-digit seed in ACC Tournament history to win three games and reach the semifinal.
Kyle Filipowski led the Blue Devils with 28 points, but N.C. State’s well-rounded scoring and 3-point shooting kept Duke at bay.
DJ Horne topped the Pack, scoring 18 points, while four other players finished in double figures. Mo Diarra finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds, his third career double-double.
The Wolfpack led Duke, 35-32, at halftime and started on a 6-0 run after the break. The Blue Devils cut the N.C. State lead to one possession four times in their comeback attempt, but the Pack kept responding.
Duke will find out its NCAA Tournament placement Sunday. N.C. State plays the winner of No. 3 Virginia and No. 11 Boston College.
It’s ice cream time
Forget ice in their veins. The N.C. State basketball team has eaten a lot of ice cream and boosted the local Häagen-Dazs’ shop’s sales.
Head coach Kevin Keatts’ tradition of getting ice cream (or cookies or sorbet) continued Thursday after the Pack’s win over Duke.
The team — at least those who shared their preference — seems to prefer strawberry treats. DJ Burns, Jayden Taylor, Jordan Snell, Mo Diarra and KJ Keatts all planned to choose ice cream or sorbet in that flavor.
Cookie dough (Ben Middlebrooks and Alex Nunnally) and vanilla (Casey Morsell and Breon Pass) came in as close seconds. Morsell, however, requires rainbow sprinkles — respect.
Lastly, Michael O’Connell chose butter pecan.
Tuesday’s results
No. 12 Notre Dame 84, No. 13 Georgia Tech 80
No. 10 N.C. State 94, No. 15 Louisville 85
No. 11 Boston College 81, No. 14 Miami 65
Wednesday’s results
No. 9 Florida State 86, No. 8 Virginia Tech 75
No. 5 Wake Forest 72, No. 12 Notre Dame 59
No. 10 NC State 83, No. 7 Syracuse 65
No. 11 Boston College 76, No. 6 Clemson 55
Thursday’s results
No. 1 UNC 92, No. 9 Florida State 67
No. 4 Pittsburgh 81, No. 5 Wake Forest 69
No. 10 NC State 74, No. 2 Duke 69
9:30 p.m.: No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 11 Boston College winner (ESPN)
Friday’s semifinals
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Pitt, 7 pm. (ESPN/ESPN2)
No. 10 N..C. State vs. Virginia-Boston College winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)
Saturday’s championship
Semifinal winners, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
