ACC tournament semifinal live updates: Duke to face Virginia after Cavaliers down Clemson
‘Hoos going to play Duke for the ACC championship on Saturday? Why it’s No. 13 Virginia, folks. (And no, we do not apologize for the punnery.)
The No. 2 seeded Cavaliers hammered No. 3 seed Clemson, 76-56, in Friday night’s second ACC tournament semifinal to set up Saturday night’s title game matchup with Duke.
This will be Virginia’s first title game appearance since 2018 in Brooklyn when the Cavaliers beat North Carolina, 71-63. Duke played in last year’s ACC tournament final, losing 82-67, to Virginia Tech.
Against Clemson, Virginia (25-6) shot 50% from the field and Jayden Gardner scored a game-high 23 points. Armaan Franklin added 13.
Clemson (23-10) shot just 36%.
Duke advances to championship with 85-78 victory against Miami
One day after torching the nets with its best shooting day of the season, Duke made 57% of its first half shots to take a five-point halftime lead, and while the Blue Devils never pulled away, they never relinquished the lead, either, in an 85-78 win over Miami in the ACC tournament semifinals Friday night at Greensboro Coliseum.
The Blue Devils maintained their lead through the first 15 minutes of the second half, but couldn’t create separation — until it mattered the most in the final minute.
Five Duke players finished in double figures, with Kyle Filipowski leading the way with 17. His spin-move floater helped Duke push the lead back to six just outside the under-4 timeout. Jeremy Roach nailed a clutch 3-pointer with about a minute to play to break into double figures. More importantly, it pushed the lead to two possessions as time wound down.
Duke-Miami first half recap
Dariq Whitehead scored eight points in a reserve role to lead the No. 4 seeded Blue Devils in the first half. Mark Mitchell scored seven points.
Miami hit 48.4% of its first-half shots as Jordan Miller tallied nine points for the top-seeded Hurricanes.
Duke led 14-7 only to see Miami scored nine consecutive points. When the Blue Devils built a 29-24 lead on Mitchell’s basket with 5:06 to play in the half, an 8-2 Hurricanes run put Miami up 32-31 on a Bensley Joseph layup.
But Duke closed the half on an 8-2 run as Whitehead drew a foul and hit three free throws to give Duke the lead. Dereck Lively’s rebound slam dunk off a Tyrese Proctor miss extended Duke’s lead to 38-34. Whitehead drilled a 3-pointer with 37.4 seconds to go until halftime giving Duke a 41-36 lead.
Photos: Duke defeats Miami in the 2023 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament
Miami loses Omier
Miami forward Norchad Omier suffered an ankle injury less than two minutes into the Hurricanes game with Duke and did not return to the game.
Omier jumped to grab a rebound and landed on the foot of Duke’s Dereck Lively. Omier averages 14.1 points and 10 rebounds per game.
“He sprained his ankle,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “It’s not broken, so we’ll just see day-to-day.”
Farewell, Josh Pastner
Josh Pastner spent part of his final day as an ACC coach watching the noon game in Thursday’s quarterfinals. By Friday, he was no longer the coach at Georgia Tech.
The school fired Pastner after one ACC championship, one NCAA tournament appearance and one trip to the NIT championship in seven seasons, with an overall record of 109-114. The Yellow Jackets finished this season strong by winning seven of their final 10 games, but a combined record of 27-38 since the run to the ACC title in 2021 — along with a new athletic director — led to the change.
“Look, last year we didn’t have as great of a year. We’ve really finished really well this year, and I wish we started better -- we started fine, it was probably more that middle run,” Pastner said after Georgia Tech’s season ended with a loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. “But I would tell you, I hope to be at Georgia Tech. I love Georgia Tech. I love my job. I have a real passion for it, and I believe in it.”
Pastner becomes the seventh ACC coach to retire or get fired in the past two years, joining Jim Boeheim, Mike Brey, Jim Christian, Mike Krzyzewski, Chris Mack and Roy Williams. In the not too distant future, Leonard Hamilton (74) and Larranaga (73) will inevitably join them. It’s an extraordinary amount of turnover for a league that for so much of its history was driven to success by its coaches.
Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner’s magical mystery tour of ACC tournament adds new dates
Filipowski ready to go
After suffering a sprained ankle that temporarily sidelined him during Duke’s win over Pittsburgh on Thursday, Duke freshman center Kyle Filipowski arrived at Greensboro Coliseum for Friday night’s semifinal game with Miami ready to play.
The 7-foot Filipowski was injured three minutes into Duke’s 96-69 quarterfinal win over Pitt. He has his ankle re-taped and tested the ankle in a back hallway before returning to play after missing six minutes of game time. He finished with 22 points in the Blue Devils’ blowout win.
Gminski, Teel honored
Broadcaster Mike Gminski and Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist David Teel were honored with the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association’s Skeeter Francis Award for coverage of the ACC during the Duke-Miami game.
Teel is covering his 40th ACC tournament in Greensboro, having covered the league for the Newport News Daily Press since 1984 before joining the Richmond paper in 2020. A member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, Teel is a 14-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year.
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award,” former ACC commissioner John Swofford said in a text message. “David is as good as it gets in his profession of sports journalism. He has covered the ACC and college sports for decades with thoroughness, integrity, fairness, insightfulness, professionalism and extraordinary capability. Nobody works harder at understanding the issues than David, which subsequently shows in his reporting. He is highly respected because he has earned that respect. On top of it all, David Teel is simply one quality guy.”
Gminski won two ACC titles and went to one Final Four as a player at Duke — and was part of the ACC’s 50th anniversary team in 2003 — before going on to a 14-season NBA career. He joined Raycom in 2004 as a color commentator on ACC broadcasts and has served in that role for 20 years. He also worked the NCAA tournament for CBS for 14 years.
“What an incredible honor for two of the media icons that helped establish the ACC as the preeminent basketball conference,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “David and Mike are consummate professionals who earned the trust and respect of countless coaches and players throughout the history of our league. There are few journalists and broadcasters that have covered the ACC more thoroughly and with as much passion and humility. I’m proud to call them each colleagues and friends.”
Tuesday’s results
No. 13 Georgia Tech 61, No. 12 Florida State 60
No. 10 Boston College 80, No. 15 Louisville 62
No. 11 Virginia Tech 67, No. 14 Notre Dame 64
An ode to Tuesdays in Greensboro, and the ACC tournament’s weirdest, quirkiest day
Wednesday’s results
No. 9 Wake Forest 77, No. 8 Syracuse 74
No. 5 Pitt 89, No. 13 Georgia Tech 81
No. 7 North Carolina 85, No. 10 Boston College 61
No. 6 NC State 97, No. 11 Virginia Tech 77
UNC basketball downs Boston College in ACC tournament, will face Virginia in quarterfinals
Thursday’s results
No. 1 Miami 74, No. 9 Wake Forest 72
No. 4 Duke 96, No. 5 Pittsburgh 69
No. 2 Virginia 68, No. 7 North Carolina 59
No. 3 Clemson 80, No. 6 N.C. State 54
ACC tournament’s strangest night comes full circle for many, exactly three years later
Friday’s schedule
No. 4 Duke 85, No. 1 Miami 78
9:30 p.m. No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 3 Clemson (ESPN2)
Duke basketball will face Miami in ACC semifinals, determined not to get ‘punked’ again
Saturday’s schedule
8:30 p.m. No. 4 Duke vs. No. 2 Virginia or No. 3 Clemson (ESPN)
Jim Phillips tie report
The ACC commissioner is famous for his enormous collection of ties in alternating ACC (and neutral) colored and white stripes, a personal fashion trademark.
Tuesday: burnt orange
Wednesday: silver
Thursday: olive green
Friday: scarlet
