1. Virginia (23-5, 14-1): Despite shooting 53.3 percent from the free-throw line, the Cavaliers used a late 24-6 second-half run at Virginia Tech to pull out a 57-53 victory. Virginia then used a 30-5 run to pummel Notre Dame on Saturday, earning them a 70-49 win. With Syracuse’s two ACC losses this past week, Virginia now holds control of its own destiny in the battle to win the ACC regular season crown.
2. Syracuse (25-2, 12-2): After winning their first 25 games of the season, the seemingly invincible Orange surprisingly faltered at home Wednesday night against Boston College in overtime 62-59. The Orange’s zone forced the Eagles to shoot from the perimeter, where they converted on 11-of-22 tries from three. Syracuse could not bounce back on Saturday night against Duke, as they shot just 38.7 percent from the field in the highly anticipated battle in Cameron Indoor Stadium. With now two losses in ACC play, Syracuse’s regular season conference title hopes are slipping away.
3. Duke (22-6, 11-4): In a week of three ACC foes, the Blue Devils started hot at Georgia Tech, cruising to a 68-51 victory behind Jabari Parker’s 16 points and 14 boards. Duke, though, stumbled in their make-up game in Chapel Hill. North Carolina held the Blue Devils scoreless for roughly six minutes in the second-half, and defeated Duke 74-66. Just two days later, the Blue Devils bounced back quickly against No. 1 ranked Syracuse. Behind a raucous crowd, Duke won 66-60, as Rodney Hood sealed the game by drawing a controversial charge in the closing seconds.
4. North Carolina (20-7, 10-4): The Tar Heels continued their strong play against three ACC opponents this week, defeating Florida Sate, Duke, and Wake Forest. Rebounding has continued to be the main reason for the winning streak, as the Tar Heels outrebounded each of their three opponents by double digits. North Carolina has now won its past nine games, but faces a test in a late-night showdown against rival N.C. State this week.
5. Pittsburgh (20-7, 8-6): In their only matchup of the week, the Panthers lost a hard-fought game against Florida State 71-66 on Sunday night. Lamar Patterson scored 22 points for Pittsburgh, but the team shot a mere 37.0 percent from the field on the night. Pittsburgh has dropped five of its past seven games on the season, mostly due to its inefficient offense. In the last seven games, the Panthers have cracked 40 percent or better from the field just three times.
6. Clemson (17-9, 8-6): The Tigers ended their three-game losing streak this past week in a big way. The Tigers stomped on visiting N.C. State by 17, with Rod Hall’s career-high 20 points leading the team. Clemson took on Georgia Tech next on the road. After trailing by six at the half, K.J. McDaniel and the Tigers used a big second-half surge to escape from Atlanta with a seven-point victory.
7. N.C. State (17-10, 7-7): Coming off a nail-biting loss to Syracuse on the road, the Wolfpack could not find its offensive rhythm against hosting Clemson. T.J. Warren posted 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, but only one other player reached double-figures for N.C. State. Against Virginia Tech, the lack of a balanced scoring effort did not matter. Warren went for 31 points in 38 minutes and led the Wolfpack to a 71-64 victory.
8. Maryland (15-12, 7-7): In their only matchup of the week, the Terrapins defeated visiting Wake Forest 71-60 behind Nick Faust’s career-high 20 points. Maryland looks to take on struggling Syracuse at home Monday night.
9. Florida State (16-11, 7-8): Coming off a road victory at Wake Forest, the Seminoles played host to visiting North Carolina. Florida State’s defense never showed up though, allowing the Tar Heels to score 81 points in Coach Roy Williams’ 300th win at North Carolina. The Seminoles returned to their gritty defensive form though in their matchup against hosting Pittsburgh. Florida State limited the Panthers to 37.0 percent shooting from the field, and pulled out a 71-66 victory.
10. Miami (14-13, 5-9): Following a disappointing effort at Virginia Tech, the Hurricanes bounced back with home wins against Notre Dame and Boston College. Miami has now won three of its last four, and faces a tough upcoming road slate of Virginia, N.C. State and Clemson.
11. Notre Dame (14-14, 5-10): The Irish’s unpredictable play continued this week in their two matchups on the road. After winning against both Clemson and Boston College the prior week, Notre Dame lost to Miami by seven and Virginia by 21. The Irish hope to get back on track in their upcoming home game against Georgia Tech.
12. Wake Forest (14-13, 4-10): The Demon Deacons' woes continued this week against Maryland and North Carolina, stretching their current losing streak to seven games. The defensive effort plagued Wake Forest, as they surrendered 71 points and a whopping 105 points to Maryland and North Carolina respectively.
13. Georgia Tech (13-14, 4-10): The Yellow Jackets played host to Duke early in the week, and were overmatched from the start. Georgia Tech could not get within double-digits of the Blue Devils for the final 28 minutes of the ballgame. Against visiting Clemson, Georgia Tech struggled to maintain control of the ball, as the Yellow Jackets turned the ball over 15 times in a 63-55 loss to the Tigers.
14. Boston College (7-20, 3-11): The Eagles showed their outside shooting touch in a huge upset win at Syracuse in overtime 62-59. Olivier Hanlan poured in 20 points for Boston College, as the Eagles handed the Orange its first loss of the season. Saturday’s matchup at Miami, though, could not have been any more different. Boston College lost by 27, and posted its lowest point total of the season with 42 on the night.
15. Virginia Tech (9-17, 2-12): Following a win last week against Miami, Virginia Tech fell back to its losing ways. The Hokies lost a close one to in-state rival Virginia 57-53, and another game at home to N.C. State 71-64. Virginia Tech has now lost 12 of its last 13 games.
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