ACC Tournament 2013 Championship Results: Miami Outduels North Carolina For ACC Crown
By Josh Sanchez
The Miami Hurricanes and North Carolina Tar Heels met at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina to determine which team would head into the 2013 NCAA tournament as the ACC tournament champions. Miami came out on top, 87-77, after a spirited effort from both sides.
Miami and North Carolina engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth first half that included 14 lead changes. P.J Hairston and Shane Larkin were going head-to-head with huge shots in one of the most exciting duels and first halves of conference championship week.
Hairston racked up 15 first-half points for the Tar Heels, while Larkin scored 13-points to go with five assists, three rebounds and no turnovers.
Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, Durand Scott left the game within the first two minutes after suffering a back injury. Scott was coming off of the best game of his career that helped lift Miami to the tournament title game.
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The two teams picked up where they left off out of the half and continued their back-and-forth affair.
After a few key stops down the stretch for the Hurricanes and a clutch three-pointer from Trey McKinney Jones (his sixth of the game), Miami began to pull away with one just a minute left to go.
North Carolina was forced to foul late, but Shane Larkin was able to ice the game with his free throws to give the Hurricanes the win.
With the victory, Miami clinched the ACC tournament to go along with their regular season crown.
There has never been a team to win the ACC regular season and conference championship that hasn’t gone on to be a No. 1 seed, but this one is in the selection committee’s hands. It would appear criminal if Miami was snubbed of a top seed, however, the media darling Gonzaga squad will likely be given the favor.
Miami is going to be a tough out for anyone they face in the tournament. What you need in March to succeed is veteran leadership and quality guard play. The Hurricanes have exactly that. Miami’s starting lineup includes four senior players and sophomore Shane Larkin, who is one of the top point guards in the nation. They are certainly a team you do not want to face in the tournament.
The Tar Heels should sit comfortably in the field as a No. 8 or No. 9 seed.
Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com throughout the entire tournament as we keep you up to date with the latest results. Will there be a Cinderella story in 2013? We will have to tune in and see.