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Only one game Sunday as Miami beat up Pitt only to see the Panthers rally before Miami snatched control back and won 66-58.
Miami had some major runs in this game but Chris Lykes fouled out with eight minutes left and they were vulnerable.
Fortunately for the ‘Canes, freshman Harlond Beverly was up to the challenge and brought the team home. Pitt was down just four with 6:24 left but couldn’t get any closer.
After the game Jeff Capel said Pitt has some lessons to learn yet and used a phrase that Duke fans will certainly recognize: “It was a disappointing loss for us. We had an amazing opportunity coming off a big win, and we didn’t have the maturity level necessary as a group to move on to the next play. Until we learn that in our program, we won’t become the consistently good program we’re striving to become.”
Ah, the famous next play.
That will now be Louisville on Tuesday.
There are no ACC games on Monday because Monday is reserved for the NCAA football championship. It looks like only 12 games are schedule nationally with the most prominent teams playing being Boston University, Cornell and NCCU.
And of course Monday is also Clemson’s chance to win its fourth national title and third in the last four years.
It’s quite a time in Tiger Town.
We’d like to see them win for a few reasons: first, the program is fun to watch, if not play against; second, it’s always fun to wind up the SEC and beating this LSU team would do it; third, we’d like to see Paul Finebaum explain away three ACC titles in four years.
We will say that Finebaum is singing out of a different hymnal lately.
So go Tigers! The Atlantic Coast Tigers that is. No Geaux for the other Tigers.
Looking slightly ahead, Duke plays Clemson in Littlejohn on Tuesday night at 7:00. Win or lose Monday night, we’re really curious about the atmosphere in Clemson after the Big Game.
If they win, the town is going to party until the wee hours. If they lose? Well, that’s hard to say. We will say this though: we don't think the emotional energy in Littlejohn will compare to the emotional energy Clemson fans will generate Monday night or what they generated Saturday in Chapel Hill. That’s not to doubt Clemson, particularly after what they did at the end of the UNC game, but emotions, always unpredictable, will be in very strange territory Monday night.
Sunday’s ACC Results
- Miami 66 Pitt 58
No Monday Games
- Freshman Beverly overcomes early mistake, leads UM Hurricanes to 66-58 win over Pitt
- Bad start costly for Panthers in loss to Miami
- There might be less of the ACC in this NCAA tournament
- In men’s basketball, the ACC is struggling for consistency as its teams flounder
- Cavs fall, Hokies win in ACC basketball
- ACC basketball rankings: Duke back on top, Clemson can’t be stopped