Home to a handful of the nation’s best teams, the ACC Tournament showcases an array of talented squads that have a chance to hoist a gigantic trophy in April. Syracuse went down, but regular season champion Virginia remains in the field. The semifinals will help settle the Field of 68, with Pittsburgh squarely on the bubble and NC State hoping for a miraculous automatic bid.
ACC basketball tournament 2014 results and bracket: NC State beats Syracuse, Duke survives
The semifinals are set for the ACC Tournament, which marches on Saturday afternoon.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Third-seeded Duke, ranked No. 7 in the country, needed two free throws from Rodney Hood with 3.8 seconds left to survive against Clemson, 66-65. Jabari Parker led the Blue Devils with 18, while Hood added 17 in the win.
Top-seeded Virginia took care of business against No. 9 Florida State, solidifying their claim for a top-line bid in the NCAA Tournament. Joe Harris led the way with 20 for the Hoos, while Virginia’s defense lived up to its reputation. Florida State committed 15 turnovers and and allowed 13 Cavalier rebounds. Virginia has drawn No. 5 Pittsburgh in the semifinals, who held off North Carolina Friday. The Panthers opened a huge lead on the slow-starting Tar Heels, and managed to cling to a slim lead late in the second half. Talib Zanna had 19 points and 21 rebounds for Pitt, including 10 on offensive glass.
No. 7 NC State won a wild one over second-seeded Syracuse. Lead changes abounded, but the Wolf Pack got five points from superstar T.J. Warren to close out the Orange. Cuse had six chances to win the game, as they pulled five offensive rebounds on its final possession. All six shots hit iron, however, allowing NC State to advance and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
Saturday’s schedule of games:
No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 5 Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 7 NC State, 3 p.m., ESPN
Here’s a link to the complete ACC bracket:
See More:
