ACC Basketball Weekly Review

Scores

Wednesday, December 14

Maryland 65, Florida International 61

Saturday, December 17

Syracuse 88, North Carolina State 72

Miami 93, Florida Atlantic 90 (2OT)

North Carolina 97, Appalachian State 82

Clemson 60, Winthrop 40

Virginia Tech 85, Campbell 60

Sunday, December 18

Florida State 77, Loyola Marymount 61

Wake Forest 67, Gardner-Webb 59

Virginia 67, Oregon 54

Boston College 75, Bryant 55

It’s kind of remarkable to digest this fact, but it’s true: From Monday through Friday, the Atlantic Coast Conference played a total of one basketball game. That’s right – this league, one of the signature college basketball conferences in America, staged only one game, Maryland’s close-shave victory over Florida International before a sparse crowd at the Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland. It was only on Saturday and Sunday that this league kicked into gear, and almost all of the ACC encounters over the weekend were cupcakes. Virginia Tech hosted Campbell. Clemson welcomed Winthrop to Littlejohn Coliseum in the Palmetto State. North Carolina jogged past Appalachian State. Florida State cruised by Loyola Marymount. Boston College handled Bryant. Wake Forest got a rare win because it scheduled a downmarket club, Gardner-Webb. Only three games really stood out on the past week’s ACC slate.

First, North Carolina State battled hard and bravely, but couldn’t keep up with Syracuse’s offensive firepower. Coach Mark Gottfried’s Wolfpack took an early seven-point lead against the Orange and – after falling behind by 14 points at halftime – rallied to tie the game at 54-all with under 14 minutes left in regulation. However, Syracuse’s ability to spread the floor and put the ball in the hands of capable slashers made NCSU’s defense noticeably vulnerable. The Wolfpack couldn’t stop Syracuse’s dribble penetration, and whenever the Pack tried to collapse in the paint to block the progress of the ball, the Orange used kickouts to three-point shooters for wide open looks. Syracuse put five scorers in double figures, and the avalanche of balanced offense was too much for North Carolina State to overcome.

In the Orange Bowl Classic, a one-day event, Miami held off Florida Atlantic in a thrilling double-overtime game. Miami big man Kenny Kadji scored 21 points and hit most of his four 3-pointers in overtime to give the Hurricanes just enough juice to reach the finish line first. Florida Atlantic is one of the best teams in the Sun Belt, so Miami’s survival act is something to take note of.

Virginia struck a blow for the ACC by traveling across the country to Eugene, Oregon, and beating the University of Oregon in the Pacific Northwest. Coach Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers are rapidly accumulating the kinds of scalps consistent with an NCAA Tournament-worthy resume. UVA already has a big poker chip in the form of a home-court win over Michigan. Now, a road win over Oregon will make that nitty-gritty “road-neutral wins” category look even better when Selection Sunday rolls around.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer