2024 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Semifinals Recap (3-15-24)
By: Joe Dillard Jr.
All Photo Credit: ACC
In the first semi-final matchup, the #1 North Carolina Tarheels take on the #4 Pittsburgh Panthers in what is a big game for both teams as the impact of winning this game can increase both teams’ seed come NCAA tournament time. Tarheels looking to become a 1 seed would need to advance to the title game and hope to win it as well to make it convincing while Pitt is securing their right to dance and trying to continue with their momentum deep into the tournament. In the beginning, Carolina came out and was the aggressor jumping out to an 8-4 lead, however with that lead came the drought that allowed Pittsburgh to go on a 13-0 run which gave the Panthers an early advantage on the back of Carlton Carrington and his leading 16 points in the first half. Carolina brought a balanced attack coming back in the second part of the half and brought the game within two points 35-33 at the half. The Tarheels had 6 turnovers in the first half and shot 12-for-29 with 6 fewer shots than the Panthers. In the second half Carolina came out with more intensity on the defensive end thus frustrating the freshman Carrington with multiple defenders but he still was attacking looking for a hit shot as he hit a three to bring Pitt within two. With multiple buckets right after, the Tarheels extended the lead back to 7 with 8:50 left to play. The game would stay within one possession going into crunch time with Carolina up 65-62 with 3:50 left. Freshmen guard Jaland Lowe stepped up to tag team with Carrington as he scored double figures in the second half alone. With crunch time in effect, the Tarheels leaned on Bacot and Davis who each had great games with Bacot with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Davis with 25 points to lead all scorers. Carolina will advance to the title game and will face the winner of the #3 Virginia Cavaliers and #10 North Carolina State Wolfpack semi-final game.
In the nightcap and last semi-final, #3 Virginia took on #10 North Carolina State in what would be a slugfest. The Wolfpack are looking to punch a ticket and as a 10 seed, they will need to win this and have a chance to receive the automatic berth with the championship. For UVA, they will need to have the selection committee look at the momentum they are taking into the tournament if they can make it to the title game. It started just like a traditional UVA game where every possession was valued. Ben Middlebrooks of N.C. State got out to a hot start going 4-for-4 and 2-for-3 from the line totaling 10 points. The game would be tied at the half 29-to-29. ACC Defensive Player of the Year Reese Beekman started to take control as he willed the Hoos to a 53-46 lead with less than 5 minutes to play. With 1:10 left to play UVA was up 57-52 and Reese Beekman got fouled by DJ Burns Jr. and it was upgraded to a flagrant 1. Unfortunately for UVA, Beekman missed both free throws and kept the game alive for N.C. State. After Casey Morsell hit three free throws it gave UVA just a three-point lead 58-to-55. After another missed free throw by UVA, Michael O’Connell dribbles down and throws up a prayer and it goes off the backboard and rattles in to take the game to overtime 58-to-58. In overtime it was DJ Burns’ show as he scored back-to-back buckets for the Wolfpack and off an offensive rebound DJ Horne scored to put the Wolfpack up 69-to-65 with 45.1 left. After multiple missed attempts from 3 by UVA North Carolina State advances to the title game in an overtime win 73-to-65 and will advance to play #1 North Carolina at 8:30 pm.
