ACC Sweep: MBB Claims Tournament Title

77 3 – NORTH CAROLINA 24-10 • 12-6

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87 1 – MIAMI 27-6 • 15-3 ACC

March 17, 2013

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) – Shane Larkin and ninth-ranked Miami now have the program’s first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship to go with its first regular-season title.

Larkin scored a career-high 28 points, eight coming in the final 2 1/2 minutes, to help No. 9 Miami pull away late to beat North Carolina 87-77 in Sunday’s final.

Trey McKinney Jones added a career-high 20 points for the top-seeded Hurricanes (27-6), including the go-ahead 3-pointer from the left corner with 6:27 left that started Miami’s final push to secure the program’s first ACC tournament title.

In a terrific back-and-forth game filled with big shots, the Hurricanes finally slowed P.J. Hairston and the third-seeded Tar Heels (24-10) enough down the stretch to secure what amounted to a road win in front of UNC’s home-state crowd.

Hairston scored 28 points and had six of the Tar Heels’ 13 3-pointers, which fell one shy of tying the program’s team record in the tournament. But it wasn’t enough to secure UNC’s first ACC title since 2008 nor coach Roy Williams’ 700th career victory.

Larkin was chosen the tournament’s MVP after finishing as the runner-up for league player of the year to Virginia Tech’s Erick Green. But Larkin was at his best when the Hurricanes needed him in a tight game to complete their surprise run from being picked fifth in the preseason poll to ACC champion.

Miami shot 51 percent and made 12 of 22 3-pointers, six coming from McKinney Jones and four from Larkin. Miami used its size advantage against North Carolina’s four-guard lineup to take a 36-28 rebounding advantage that led to 13 second-chance points.

The Hurricanes certainly needed every bit of it to beat the Tar Heels for a third time this season. Miami had blown out North Carolina by 26 points in February but didn’t put this one away until the final minutes.

Larkin drove by Dexter Strickland for a layup and a 76-71 lead, then McKinney Jones struck again with a 3 from the left corner off a feed from Rion Brown that made it 79-71 with 1:36 left – the Hurricanes’ biggest lead to that point.

Larkin also went 6-for-6 at the foul line in the final minute to keep Miami in control.

It was an emotional moment for Miami seniors Durand Scott, Reggie Johnson and Julian Gamble – who were all part of the team that was a last-place seed in the 2010 tournament that made the program’s first run to the semifinals.

As the confetti fell from the rafters of the Greensboro Coliseum after the final horn, Scott leapt into the arms of Gamble, then shared a big hug with Johnson.

The question now is how the win will affect Miami’s NCAA tournament seeding and whether the Hurricanes have done enough to earn a No. 1.

For the Tar Heels, the third straight finals appearance didn’t appear likely after that humiliating loss to the Hurricanes on Feb. 9. But that’s when Williams inserted Hairston into the four-guard starting lineup, a move that changed everything for the Tar Heels.

North Carolina had won eight of 10 since the move and gave the Hurricanes fits with their ability to hit stretch the defense and open space inside for James Michael McAdoo or penetrating guards.

Reggie Bullock added 17 points for the Tar Heels, while he and freshman point guard Marcus Pagie each hit three 3s. But eventually, Miami’s defense held them without a basket for 4 minutes as the Hurricanes gradually took control.

Hairston and Larkin were the biggest stars of a dynamic first half that featured six ties and 14 lead changes. Both players had 15 points.

Hairston again wore the padded bandage to protect a cut to the webbing between his left middle and ring fingers he suffered in in Friday’s quarterfinal win against Florida State, a wound to his non-shooting hand that required eight stitches.

Larkin’s floater in the lane with 4 seconds left gave the Hurricanes a 44-41 halftime lead.

GAME NOTES

• Miami claimed its first conference tournament championship in school history.
• Miami became the first school since 1974 to win the ACC outright regular-season and tournament titles in the same season. Miami is also the first ACC school outside of the state of North Carolina to do so.
• Shane Larkin was named the ACC All-Tournament MVP.
• Larkin and Durand Scott were named to the ACC All-Tournament first team, while Julian Gamble and Trey McKinney Jones were named to the second team.
• The Hurricanes improve to 5-18 against North Carolina in the all-time series, which dates back to the 1949-50 season. The Canes have defeated UNC three times this season after losing 10 straight games to the Tar Heels.
• The Hurricanes shot 54.4 percent from 3-point range and connected on 12-of-22 3-point attempts, breaking their previous ACC Tournament mark of 10 (recorded against Florida State on March 9, 2012).
• Miami shot 75 percent from the free throw line and has now posted back-to-back games shooting over 70 percent from the free throw line.
• Shane Larkin scored a career-high 28 points, surpassing his previous mark of 27 against Jacksonville on Nov. 16, 2012.
• Larkin now has three straight 20-point performances. He has reached double figures in nine consecutive games, and has scored in double figures in all five games played in the tournament (12, 16, 20, 23, 28).
• Trey McKinney Jones recorded a career-high 20 points, as well as connecting on a career-high six 3-pointers. His previous career high was 18 points (and five 3-pointers) against Michigan State on Nov. 28, 2012.
• Rion Brown who finished the game with 12 points and recorded his highest point total since scoring 10 points vs. Virginia on Feb. 19. Brown has scored in double digits five times this year, including two straight games against BC on Feb. 5 and UNC on Feb. 9.

• Brown, who shot 60 percent from the field for the game, has shot better than 43 percent from the field eight times, including 81.8 percent (9-11) at Georgia Tech.
• Four Hurricanes finished the game with double digit scoring, Shane Larkin (28), Trey McKinney Jones (20), Rion Brown (12) and Julian Gamble (11).
• Head coach Jim Larrañaga, who is in his 29th season as a head coach and second at Miami, improves his overall record to 517-353 and is 47-19 in his second season at Miami.
• Today’s Starters: Shane Larkin, Durand Scott, Trey McKinney Jones, Kenny Kadji & Julian Gamble