Down in Tallahassee, the Florida State Seminoles were trying to upset the Atlantic Coast Conference apple cart with the North Carolina Tar Heels paying a visit. It nearly happened.
The Tar Heels and Seminoles battled down to the final ticks of the clock, with the game going back and forth. However, the much-heralded freshman Harrison Barnes stuck a dagger into the hearts of Seminole Nation with a clutch game-winning 3-pointer with three seconds to play, giving North Carolina (23-6, 11-2) a huge road win. That sets up a winner-take-all battle at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill Saturday against rival Duke for the ACC regular season championship.
"Great players make great plays," Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton told The Associated Press about Barnes' shot. "That's about as good as it gets."
After a sluggish start to the season, where Barnes averaged just 11.6 ppg through his first 19 games, Barnes has posted 17.9 ppg over the past 10 games dating back to Jan. 29.
Florida State actually led for much of the game, looking like the Tar Heels might face the same result that visiting Duke did back on Jan. 12 when the then-No. 1 Blue Devils were toppled 66-61. The was tight pretty much throughout, and the two sides even shot an identical 16 for 31 (51.6 percent) from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
However, the Heels built a seven-point lead about halfway through the second half at 67-60 and they hung on for dear life.
F John Henson was a beast yet again, and he really has been the difference making the Tar Heels go from a good team to an elite team. He canned 7 of 11 field goal attempts, finishing with game-highs in points (19) and rebounds (12). Henson also swatted three more shots while picking up two assists.
G Leslie McDonald provided a spark off the bench, hitting 3 for 5 from behind the arc. He finished with 10 points, one of just three UNC players in double-digits.
For the Seminoles, G Derwin Kitchen, who was instrumental in that earlier upset of Duke, hit 5 of 9 from the floor to finish with a team-high 13 points.
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The Duke Blue Devils dispatched a pesky Clemson Tigers team Wednesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Senior Night, setting up a collision with the rival Norht Carolina Tar Heels Saturday for the outright title in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Duke (27-3, 13-2) managed just a two-point lead at halftime, as the Tigers hung around and fought hard, battling to keep their flickering NCAA Tournament hopes alive. However, the second half was the difference, as Clemson shot just 23.5 percent (8 for 34) from the floor, while Duke was a solid 45.5 percent (10 for 22). The 3-point shot was a big difference in this one, too, as Clemson bagged three of seven from behind the arc in the first half, only to fall flat on their faces with a dismal 1 for 12 in the final 20 minutes. Conversely, Duke was consistent all evening from long distance, connecting on 4 for 9 in the first half, and 3 for 8 in the second half.
Seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith made the most of their final game on Coach K Court. Singler didn't shoot particularly well, but he ended up with 18 points and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. In addition, he posted two assists, a block and a steal, a solid all-around game which is a microcosm of his career in Durham. Smith misfired on 13 of his 20 field goal attempts, but he still posted a game-high 21 points to go along with seven assists and four rebounds. On a negative note, he did have an uncharacteristic eight turnovers.
G Seth Curry really buoyed the offense, hitting 6 of 13 from the floor, including 3 of 6 from behind the arc, to chip in with 18 points.
The Duke bench is becoming somewhat of a concern, as the Blue Devils ended up getting a grand total of four points from four players in 31 minutes, while the group did not successfully convert one field goal attempt. Granted, it was a night for the seniors, but they'll need to spread the wealth a bit more evenly Saturday against UNC.
For Clemson, none of the starters shot better than 50 percent from the floor. G Demontez Stitt led the way with 14 points, only one of two Tigers in double-digits in scoring. F Jerai Grant had eight points, 11 rebounds, a blocked shot and three steals.
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