The ACC Tournament championship game will pit No. 6 Virginia against No. 7 Duke. It will be the first trip to the ACC Championship game for the Cavaliers since 1994, while Duke last won the title game in 2011.
ACC Tournament 2014 schedule and bracket: Blue Devils and Cavaliers will play for the ACC
Virginia and Duke will play for the ACC Tournament crown on Sunday, with the winner possibly coming away with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Virginia's methodical attack was enough to knock off Pittsburgh 51-48 in the semifinal. A great play by Justin Anderson to block James Robinson's three-point attempt with three seconds remaining sealed the win. Robinson and the Virginia defense held the Panthers under 37 percent shooting from the field. Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogdon combined for 22 points, while Anthony Gill scored 10 off the bench.
Virginia is trying to state its case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a victory in the championship game would be a strong statement.
Behind Jabari Parker's team-high 20 points and eight rebounds, Duke topped N.C. State 75-67. The Wolfpack stayed with the Blue Devils through the first half, but Duke went on a 9-0 second-half run to pull away. ACC Player of the Year T.J. Warren led all scorers with 21.
N.C. State was fighting for its NCAA Tournament life and was listed in Chris Dobbertean’s next four out before the game. Duke is working to improve its seeding in the Big Dance, and could also be playing for a No. 1 seed on Sunday.
When Virginia and Duke met in January at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils walked out with a 69-65 win. That game was settled by a late three from Rasheed Sulaimon that gave Duke a 67-65 lead with 19 seconds remaining.
Since that game, Virginia has gone 15-1, with the only loss coming in overtime against Maryland. The points per game statistics don’t tell the full story because of Virginia’s methodical style of play, but the Cavaliers have the second-most efficient offense in the ACC, behind only the Blue Devils.
On the flipside, Virginia boasts the best defense in the conference. The Cavaliers allowed .91 points per possession, while the closest competitor wasn’t even below one point per possession. Duke is only average in that regard, allowing 1.04 points per possession.
Championship Sunday:
No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 3 Duke, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
Here is your link to the ACC Tournament bracket:
See More:
