After the controversial thriller in the first ACC Tournament semifinal between UNC and N.C. State, the second semifinal of the afternoon, between the Florida St. Seminoles and the Duke Blue Devils, provided its own fireworks. The Seminoles won a nailbiter, 62-59, their second win over Duke this season, led by Michael Snaer, who hit the buzzer beater to beat the Blue Devils in Cameron earlier this year:
ACC Tournament Semifinal, Florida State Vs. Duke: Seminoles Hang On To Upset Blue Devils
The Seminoles defense, as it has been all season, was stout all game long, preventing Duke, which is known for its outside shooting, from getting into any sort of a rhythm. The teams jockeyed back and forth throughout the second half before Luke Loucks did this with the clock winding down.
Snaer was, frankly, everywhere for the Seminoles. He led the team in scoring with 16 points, and added six assists, four rebounds, two steals, two blocks and just one turnover for one of the more impressive stat lines you’ll see. The ‘Noles shot 42.1 percent from the field, far better than the Blue Devils’ 37.3 mark.
Austin Rivers led Duke in scoring with 17 points, but shot 5-14 and 1-6 from deep, continuing his recent string of inefficient scoring. Seth Curry was also cold, shooting just 4-13 for 13 points, but their shooting performances weren't the reason Duke lost. No one else on the team attempted more than six shots. The Seminoles clamped down on D and forced Curry and Rivers to force bad attempts, which was the difference in this game.
The Seminoles will face the ACC regular season champion North Carolina Tar Heels in the conference final Sunday.
For more on the two teams, check out Florida Seminoles blog Tomahawk Nation and Duke Blue Devils blog Duke Basketball Report. For more on college tournaments nationwide, head over to SB Nation’s dedicated NCAA basketball hub. For more on the ACC tourney, make sure to follow this StoryStream.
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