Despite March Madness being four months away, Wednesday’s competition provided a preview of the spring excitement. In the culminating moments of the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge, Georgia’s Justin Hill sealed a 68-66 win with a clutch jumper, ultimately leveling the score to 7-7 for both conferences in this debut event.
The tournament began with seven games on Tuesday, where the SEC initially held a 4-3 lead. However, the ACC rallied on the final day, winning four out of the last seven games. Notably, ranked SEC teams performed at 1-4, while their ACC counterparts stood at 1-2, with UNC and Kentucky emerging as the sole ranked teams to avoid upsets.
The highly anticipated matchups delivered excitement. No. 17 UNC’s 100-92 win over No. 10 Tennessee and Arkansas’ 80-75 upset victory against No. 7 Duke stood out among the clashes.
Arkansas, despite prior setbacks in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, rebounded fiercely with the triumph over Duke, marking Coach Eric Musselman’s 100th victory at the school.
Previously, the ACC had faced off against the Big Ten in the annual Big Ten/ACC challenge, which concluded after the Big Ten’s new media rights deal excluded ESPN. Subsequently, the ACC/SEC Challenge emerged.
Highlights from Wednesday’s ACC/SEC Challenge scores include:
No. 17 North Carolina’s emphatic 100-92 win over No. 10 Tennessee, was led by standout performances from Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram, RJ Davis, and freshman Elliot Cadeau.
Arkansas’ 80-75 upset against No. 7 Duke, spearheaded by Trevon Brazile and Khalif Battle’s contributions, despite Duke’s Kyle Filipowski’s double-double.
Virginia’s sturdy defensive display in a 59-47 victory over No. 14 Texas A&M, with all five starters scoring in double figures.
Wake Forest’s commanding second-half performance resulted in an 82-71 win against Florida, led by Hunter Sallis and Andrew Carr.
Boston College’s dominant 80-62 victory over Vanderbilt, courtesy of Quinten Post and Chaudell Harris Jr.
Georgia’s thrilling 68-66 win over Florida State, was clinched by Justin Hill’s dramatic late-game shot.
Tuesday’s ACC/SEC Challenge results showcased impactful games, including Kentucky’s strong 95-73 win over Miami and Syracuse’s commanding 80-57 victory against LSU, highlighted by Judah Mintz’s explosive 33-point performance.
Other noteworthy outcomes included Missouri’s 71-64 road win over Pitt, South Carolina’s 65-53 victory over Notre Dame led by Meechie Johnson, and Clemson’s 85-77 upset against No. 23 Alabama, with PJ Hall’s stellar 21-point contribution.
Comments