ACC Roundup: Clemson and Louisville Keep Rolling
North Carolina is heating up, NC State had a strong showing, but the rest of the conference had mixed results on Saturday.
Saturday’s ACC Action
Clemson defeated SMU 79-69, Louisville edged out Florida State 89-81, NC State handled Wake Forest 85-73, Boston College cruised past Georgia Tech 69-54, Notre Dame outlasted Pitt 76-72, UNC dominated Virginia 81-66, and Virginia Tech pulled away from Miami 81-68.
Wake Forest and Pitt, both looking to boost their NCAA Tournament chances, suffered losses that could hurt their resumes. Clemson, however, continued its strong play. The Tigers led 36-32 at halftime before stretching their lead to 61-43. SMU made a late push, but Clemson never lost control.
Key Performances:
- Viktor Lakhin had 16 points and six rebounds for Clemson.
- Jaeden Zackery led the Tigers with 19 points, while Case Hunter added 17.
- SMU was without Boopie Miller, impacting their offense. Kario Oquendo, filling in, managed only two points.
Louisville’s Chuckie Hepburn had an outstanding night, setting a school record by making 17 of 19 free throws and finishing with 29 points and five steals. J’Vonne Hadley added 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Florida State’s Jamir Watkins scored 23, while Malique Ewin was highly efficient, scoring 19 points on 9-10 shooting.
NC State, which has struggled offensively this season, saw a breakout performance from freshman Paul McNeil, who had 24 points, four rebounds, and three assists in his first start. Dontrez Styles contributed 22 points as the Wolfpack shot 50% overall and hit 13 of 32 three-pointers.
For Wake Forest, Cameron Hildreth made a strong return with 16 points, but Hunter Sallis struggled, shooting just 3-10 for 13 points. The loss puts the Demon Deacons in a difficult spot, likely needing a strong ACC Tournament run to boost their tournament hopes.
Boston College dominated Georgia Tech defensively, holding them to 32.1% shooting overall and just 21.7% from three-point range. Baye Ndongo was a bright spot for the Yellow Jackets with 17 points and 15 rebounds, but the rest of the team shot just 11-45. Donald Hand led BC with 20 points and seven rebounds.
Notre Dame and Pitt were tied at 54 with just over seven minutes remaining before the Irish took control, building a 67-56 lead with under three minutes left. Impressively, Notre Dame did so without key players Matt Allocco and Braeden Shrewsberry, both sidelined with injuries.
Key Performances:
- Tae Burton led the Irish with 21 points.
- Markus Burton added 20 points.
- JR Konieczny and Cole Certa had 10 and 12 points, respectively, providing crucial contributions.
Pitt coach Jeff Capel acknowledged his team’s inconsistency, saying they struggled with discipline and execution, especially on defense.
UNC has battled slow starts all season but got off to a fast 21-2 lead against Virginia. While Virginia made it respectable in the second half, the game was never truly in question.
Key Performances:
- Jae’Lyn Withers continued his strong form with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
- Ven-Allen Lubin had 14 points and six rebounds.
UNC coach Hubert Davis made adjustments, bringing Seth Trimble and Ian Jackson off the bench, while starting Lubin, Withers, and Drake Powell in a more traditional lineup. UNC’s upcoming schedule includes Florida State, Miami, and Virginia Tech before closing the regular season against Duke.
Miami kept pace with Virginia Tech until the Hokies pulled away late in the second half. Tech played without Mylyjael Poteat, who suffered a knee injury, and Duke transfer Jaden Schutt, who was recovering from illness. Jaydon Young stepped up with a massive 29-point performance off the bench.
Other Notable Game: Stanford vs. Cal
Stanford built a 47-30 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining but had to fend off a late Cal rally to secure a 66-61 victory.
Key Performances:
- Duke transfer Jaylen Blakes scored 10 points.
- Maxime Raynaud led Stanford with 20 points and eight rebounds.
- For Cal, Jeremiah Wilkinson had 19 points, and Andrej Stojakovic contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Looking Ahead
The ACC schedule resumes Monday with UNC visiting Florida State.