ACC Tournament: Duke Escapes Florida State, UNC Falls To Clemson In Heartbreaker, Semifinal Matchups Set

Pam, Dr. Deborah Stroman and Alex discuss the dramatic finishes, including Duke’s narrow escape over Florida State, UNC’s heartbreaker against Clemson and what these results mean for the ACC tournament semifinals and each team’s momentum heading into the postseason.

The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament in Charlotte delivered an exciting night of quarterfinal action Thursday. The Duke Blue Devils survived a late scare to defeat the Florida State Seminoles men's basketball 80-79 in a thrilling finish. Duke was led by Isaiah Evans, who poured in 32 points and knocked down seven three-pointers to keep the Blue Devils in front during key stretches of the game. Florida State made a late push in the final minute, but Duke held on defensively to secure the one-point victory and advance to the semifinals, where they will take on the Clemson Tigers men's basketball with a spot in the ACC championship on the line.

Meanwhile, the North Carolina Tar Heels saw their tournament run come to an end in a heartbreaking 80-79 loss to Clemson. North Carolina trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half but mounted an impressive comeback behind strong perimeter shooting and defensive pressure. The Tar Heels closed the gap in the final minutes and had a chance late, but Clemson managed to hold on in the closing seconds to secure the win. The loss ends UNC’s ACC tournament hopes and puts more focus on their postseason outlook heading toward Selection Sunday.