Peter Koutroumpis (@pksport)
#ACCWBB
ACC/Staff Reports
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, NC State, and Florida State earned their spots in the 2024 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament semifinals with wins at Greensboro Coliseum on Friday.
Fighting Irish, Hokies last ones standing after first session
Fourth-seeded Notre Dame (24-6) advanced past fifth-seeded Louisville by a 77-68 margin in the opening game of the Quarterfinal Round of play.
With the win, the Fighting Irish moved on to the semifinals on Saturday to face top-seeded Virginia Tech.
Notre Dame has reached the ACC Tournament semifinals for the ninth time in 11 years as a conference member, hold a 20-5 all-time in ACC tourney play, including a 3-2 mark against the Cardinals this season.
The Hokies, playing without ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, put together a hardly fought team finish in a 55-47 victory over ninth seeded Miami.
Virginia Tech advances to the ACC Tournament semifinals for the third consecutive year, having never advanced past the quarterfinal round prior to 2022.
Now 13-18 in the ACC Tournament, the Hokies have posted seven of those wins over the last three seasons.
Wolfpack, Seminoles advance to meet on Saturday
The Wolfpack moved on to Saturday’s semifinal game versus No. 6 Florida State following a ‘survive and advance’ 54-51 win over Triangle-area foe in seventh-seeded Duke.
The Seminoles earned their spot in the semifinal round with a clinical 78-65 wire-to-wire finish against third-seeded Syracuse in the final game on Friday.
While the Wolfpack took an early lead on the Blue Devils, the two teams’ third matchup of the season turned into a defensive battle with both sides struggling to make shots.
NC State had a stretch of 12 straight misses in a nearly 8 1/2-minute scoreless drought during the opening 20 minutes of play.
Both teams eventually came down the stretch in a one-possession game, but neither could produce points, combining to go scoreless for 4 1/2 minutes with each managing long runs of missed shots before Zoe Brooks scored the eventual deciding score with under a minute remaining.
NC State has now won its first ACC Tournament game in each of the past seven seasons, sits 27-16 all-time in quarterfinal games, and 59-39 overall in conference postseason play.
Coming into the early-afternoon matchup, the Seminoles seek to avenge an 88-80 overtime road loss to the Wolfpack back on Jan. 18.
In beating the Orange, FSU reached its seventh ACC Tournament semifinal and the third in it last seven appearances, having previously reached the semifinal round in 2001, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020.
—
Recap: Quarterfinal Round (Friday) Results
Game 8: #4 Notre Dame 77, #5 Louisville 68
Box Score | Recap | Highlights
Game 9: #1 Virginia Tech 55, #9 Miami 47
Box Score | Recap | Highlights
Game 10: #2 NC State 54, #7 Duke 51
Box Score | Recap | Highlights
Game 11: #6 Florida State 78, #3 Syracuse 65
Box Score | Recap | Highlights
—
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, March 9 – Greensboro, North Carolina
#4 Notre Dame vs. #1 Virginia Tech | Noon | ACCN
#2 NC State vs. #6 Florida State | 2:30 p.m. | ACCN
Sunday, March 10 – Greensboro, North Carolina
Championship Game | 1 p.m. | ESPN
—
Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960 | @tsportsnet