The Clemson Tigers have a chance to play for the ACC title for the first time since 1962 after holding off Duke for a 78-74 win in the ACC tournament semi-finals. Clemson will play North Carolina in the tournament finals at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. Clemson had lost 22 straight games to the Blue Devils and are the only charter member of the ACC to never win the league tournament title.
Within minutes of Clemson’s victory, online sports wagering giant Sportsbook.com installed North Carolina the favorite by a 5 1/2 –point chalk.
The Tar Heels made it to the finals after Tyler Hansbrough hit a fadeaway jumper off an offensive rebound with 0.8 seconds left to help No. 1 North Carolina beat Virginia Tech 68-66 on Saturday in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinals.
Clemson had lost 22 straight games to the Blue Devils and are the only charter member of the ACC to never win the league tournament title. Rugged James Mays, who scored 16 points, had two three-point plays in an 11-4 run that snapped a 56-all tie.
Second-seeded Duke (27-5) cut the lead to 71-69 on Greg Paulus' 3-pointer with 48 seconds left. But then Clemson, a 63-percent free throw shooting team, made 3-of-4 from the line.
"If they hit their free throws, they're as good as anybody," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
K.C. River's transition dunk after DeMarcus Nelson turned the ball over in the closing seconds iced it, setting off a wild celebration for the Tigers, who had been 14-54 in the ACC tournament before beating Boston College on Friday.
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