Clemson 78  Duke 74   Box Score

Mistakes and cold shooting sends the Devils home to Durham where they will gather at 6:00 tomorrow to find out their NCAA seeding.  ACC Rookie of the Year Kyle Singler went just 1 of 9 from the field but the real culprit was the teams inability to take care of the ball, especially with the game on the line.

Duke looked disjointed throughout the contest due to the Tigers relentless pressure,  yet still had a chance to get back into the game when Paulus hit a three to cut the lead to two.  The Blue Devils drop to 27-5 on the season and hope to regroup for a tournament run.

Simply put, it was Clemson's day and it was a long time coming.  The Tigers go to their first ACC Final since 1962 and will take on a team they notoriously struggle with in North Carolina.  Unfortunately, the Heels are in a position to win both regular season and tournament after coming back to snag Virginia Tech in the closing seconds.

There is no doubt that many in the media will point to Duke faltering come March and wondering if this is happening again.  The only way the Devils will prove them wrong is to get on a roll.  It's circle the wagon time from here on out.

"We are peaking at the right time," said Purnell whose team played lock down defense at times.  This counter acted the Blue Devils ability to spread the court and run their offense.  "We are coming in and playing forty minutes in every game," said Cliff Hammonds.  That tenacity was evident for the Tigers truly wanted this game.

Paulus led Duke with 17, while Nelson had 14 and Scheyer 13.  Duke's FT shooting kept them in the game at 16 out of 17.  Duke was 6 of 26 from three point land, but three of those came late.  If Duke had shot the ball like they have for most of the season, there would have likely been a different result.

"We had good lucks but just missed.  I am proud of what they've (Duke) done in the regular season, we are 0-0.  We just need to get some rest and get ready for the NCAA Tournament," said Coach K.

He continued, "They really run back and play as they come back.  Our turnovers were passes where you didn't see their players."  Despite the loss, Coach K seemed pleased with his teams play of late giving a lot of credit to Clemson.  One might get the impression that he just wants to get back to Durham and regroup, but one thing is certain, that being he knows there is more ball to play.

Coach K was pleased with his bench play but is concerned with Singler who he deemed as being tired and having temporary lost his legs.  "We are starting the season all over 0-0," said Nelson who seemed to have already put the game behind.  In a situation like today, thats all you can do.

Notes- Gerald Henderson did get an x-ray on his wrist after aggravating his injury.  Duke expects him to be ready to go after a couple of days rest.

Mark's take - Duke will take on a Clemson team that hasn't beaten the Devils in 22 straight games.  This may be their opportunity to snap that run if they play as they did against Boston College.  The Tigers have a dominant inside game and a solid backcourt to go with good depth. 

Clemson will try to get the ball inside early and often hoping success there will open up some threes for Rivers and others.  The Tigers pressed Duke often in Durham, but don't be surprised to see them pack it in and hope Duke misses from the outside.

The Blue Devils will have to get a good performance down low from Thomas, Zoubek and Singler.  It may be Duke's three point shooting that determines the outcome in what is certain to be a tough, physical contest.  The Dukies key players - Singler, Nelson, Henderson, Thomas and Paulus must stay away from foul trouble early in the game.

Clemson will give Duke their best shot, but the Devils prevail in the end.  Duke 83 Clemson 80

Bob Green's take - In the game on January 19th, the score was 58 all with 11 minutes remaining when Duke went on a 23-7 run to blow the game open. Clemson dominated the glass outrebounding Duke 37-23, but Duke forced 20 turnovers. In the end, Duke's pressure defense was more dominant than Clemson's inside strength and Duke won 93-80.

I expect another high scoring game as both teams will try and push the tempo. This game will come down to who can avoid foul trouble and have their best players on the court when needed. Duke's small line-up will need to take care of the basketball and hit their 3-pointers if Duke is to advance to the championship game.

My prediction: Duke 88 - Clemson 85

The semifinal match-ups are all set with the top four seeds advancing. North Carolina takes on Virginia Tech at 1:30 PM with Duke facing Clemson at 4:00 PM.

Carolina opened up quarterfinal action with an 82-70 victory over Florida State. ACC Player-of-the-Year Tyler Hansbrough scored 22 points and Wayne Ellington chipped in 19. Point guard Ty Lawson started for the first time in six games after spraining an ankle. With Lawson running the offense, Carolina pushed the tempo especially in the second half.

In the day's second game, Virginia Tech ousted Miami 63-49. The Hokies outrebounded the Canes 51-25 and sealed the victory by going on a 18-2 run in the second half. Virginia Tech is playing for their NCAA tournament life, but they most likely need to beat Carolina to earn a berth. A win over the Number One team in the country would erase Tech's "zero quality wins" stigma. The victory over Miami was Virginia Tech's first of the season over a Top 50 RPI team.

Duke opened up the evening session with an 82-70 victory over Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils looked fantastic at times and led by as many as 20 points in the first half, but allowed the Yellow Jackets to go on a 19-2 run and get back into the game. Kyle Singler was sadled with foul trouble the entire first half and finished the game with only five points. However, Duke relied on their balanced scoring offense as five players finished with double digit points. Jon Scheyer led the way with 18, DeMarcus Nelson added 17, Greg Paulus 13, Gerald Henderson 12, and Lance Thomas 10.

In the nightcap, Clemson ran away from Boston College 82-48. The Tigers utilized pressure defense to force 22 turnovers and controlled the game throughout. A 19-0 run in the first half produced a 17 point halftime lead for the Tigers. The victory places Clemson into the semifinals for the first time in a decade. In 1998, Clemson fell to Duke 66-64 when William Avery knocked down a buzzer-beater.