The ACC went 1-3 on Wednesday night, with the three ranked teams all losing.
The headliner in the ACC on Wednesday was UNC vs Gonzaga in the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Gonzaga Bulldogs beat UNC 82-74 in Madison Square Garden. Despite forcing 17 turnovers, the North Carolina defense was questionable once again allowing Gonzaga to make 52% of their shots from the floor and 53% from behind the arc. The Heels also could not benefit from 30 free throw attempts, making just 18.
On the bright side, Brandan Wright was impressive, finishing with 21 pts, 13 rebs, and 3 blks, while Tyler Hansbrough attempted only 5 shots finishing with 9 pts and 9 rebs. Point guards, Bobby Frasor and Ty Lawson were the only Heels in double-figures with 11 pts each.
It appeared the Heels suffered from the same problem Duke did the night before relating to youth, which is new and changing roles. One of the most difficult things with a large influx of talent, is the affect not only on new talent but how the new talent affects the existing players. It appears, just as it did in the Duke/Marquette game, that the Heels weren't quite sure who should be getting the ball in late game situations.
The Heels move on to play #21 Tennessee in the consolation game of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
In the finals of the Maui Classic, Georgia Tech could not bring home a tournament championship for the ACC, losing 88-73 to UCLA. Lewis Clinch led the way with 21 pts, 5 rebs, and 3 stls, while Thaddeus Young (13 pts, 5 rebs) and Zach Peacock (12 pts) rounded out Yellow Jackets in double-figures.
Paul Hewitt's team fell prey to the same thing that happened to Memphis the day before, not getting the ball to the interior players. Jeremis Smith and Ra'Sean Dickey combined for just 8 shots, far too few for those two players.
Boston College lost for the 2nd straight game, 73-64 to Providence. Boston College was outrebounded 42-29, giving Providence 19 offensive rebounds. Tyrese Rice led the way for BC with 19 pts, 8 asts, although he also had 4 turnovers and finished 6-17 shooting from the floor. Jared Dudley (17 pts, 4 rebs, 4 stls) and Sean Marshall (12 pts) also finished in double-figures, while Sean Williams added a unique double-double with 12 blks and 10 rebs.
In the only win of the night for the ACC, Virginia beat UNC Asheville 81-64. Sean Singletary led the way with 20 pts, 7 asts, and 4 rebs, including making all 12 free throws he attempted. JR Reynolds added 18 pts and 5 asts to go with 5 turnovers, while Adrian Joseph added 14 pts and 6 rebs.
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