ACC/SEC Challenge 2023: Men's Scores, Highlights and Reaction from Wednesday
The ACC has some work to do.
While the SEC is traditionally known as the football powerhouse compared to the ACC's rich history of success in men's basketball, the former took the early lead in the 2023 ACC/SEC Challenge with four wins during Tuesday's seven-game slate.
Wednesday was a chance for the ACC to bounce back with seven more games on the schedule, including a high-profile clash between No. 10 Tennessee and No. 17 North Carolina.
With that in mind, here is a look at the scores for Wednesday's results.
Wednesday's Schedule and Scores
- No. 17 North Carolina defeats No. 10 Tennessee, 100-92
- Virginia defeats No. 14 Texas A&M, 59-47
- Wake Forest defeats Florida, 82-71
- Arkansas defeats No. 7 Duke at Arkansas, 80-75
- Boston College defeats Vanderbilt, 80-62
- Georgia defeats Florida State, 68-66
- Auburn defeats Virginia Tech, 74-57
No. 17 North Carolina defeats No. 10 Tennessee, 100-92
No game on Wednesday's slate is likely to carry as much weight on Selection Sunday as the one between No. 17 North Carolina and No. 10 Tennessee, and the Tar Heels earned a marquee 100-92 victory thanks to a dominant first half.
The home team exploded for 61 points before intermission, although it took its foot off the gas in the second half and allowed the Volunteers to close a 22-point halftime deficit to as little as six in the final two minutes.
Four Tar Heels scored in double figures, including Armando Bacot (22 points, 11 rebounds and three assists), RJ Davis (27 points and four rebounds) and Harrison Ingram (20 points, six rebounds and three steals).
Tennessee can at least take solace in the fact it made the final score much more respectable with its late push. Dalton Knecht was unstoppable as he tallied 37 points and six rebounds behind 13-of-17 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 shooting from deep, but he rolled his left ankle and was sidelined for the end of the game.
Unfortunately for the Volunteers, they leave their stretch of three straight daunting contests against Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina without a single win.
Virginia defeats No. 14 Texas A&M, 59-47
North Carolina wasn't the only ACC team to earn a victory over a ranked SEC team Wednesday.
Virginia defended home-court advantage with a 59-47 win over No. 14 Texas A&M thanks to a strong defensive effort. The Aggies shot an ugly 30.4 percent from the field and 17.4 percent from deep with 16 turnovers as the Cavaliers' stifling style of play kept them in check.
All five starters scored in double figures for Virginia with Andrew Rohde leading the way with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.
The Cavaliers also have wins over West Virginia and Florida this season and will have plenty of momentum going into their conference opener against Syracuse on Saturday. As for the Aggies, they have now lost two of three following a 5-0 start to the campaign and will look to bounce back Wednesday against DePaul.
Wake Forest defeats Florida, 82-71
Wake Forest needed a notable win this season, and it got one with an 82-71 victory over Florida on Wednesday.
While the Demon Deacons lost to Georgia, Utah and LSU earlier this season, they bounced back in impressive fashion against the Gators thanks to a late surge. The game was tied heading into the final four minutes, but Cameron Hildreth scored eight points down the stretch and helped his team pull away.
He finished with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists but was not the leading scorer for Wake Forest.
That honor went to Hunter Sallis, who poured in 24 points to go with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Andrew Carr also impressed with 22 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Florida's inability to close the game took away from a solid showing in defeat from Riley Kugel, who had 24 points and five rebounds.
Boston College defeats Vanderbilt, 80-62
The ACC maintained its momentum at the start of the late session thanks to a dominant performance from Boston College in an 80-62 victory over Vanderbilt.
The road team jumped out to a 21-point halftime lead and put things on cruise control from there. The outcome was never truly in doubt even though the Commodores closed the gap some, and the Eagles can thank Quinten Post and Claudell Harris Jr. for the result.
Post caught fire from three-point range and finished with 24 points and seven rebounds, while Harris did the same on the way to 22 points and five boards. They combined for eight made three-pointers and helped Boston College control the entire contest.
It was a much-needed showing for the Eagles, who entered the game with two consecutive losses to Colorado State and Loyola Chicago.
Auburn defeats Virginia Tech, 74-57
The SEC would not be shut out Wednesday.
Auburn handled Virginia Tech with relative ease in a 74-57 victory thanks in large part to the individual brilliance of Johni Broome. Broome finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks and largely overwhelmed Virginia Tech's frontcourt throughout the game.
Chad Baker-Mazara (15 points) was the only other member of the Tigers to score in double figures.
Virginia Tech's offense was largely nonexistent for extended stretches of the contest while shooting 27.5 percent from the field. Hunter Cattoor scored 16 points but was the only player on the Hokies to reach double figures.
Georgia defeats Florida State, 68-66
No game had more drama than Georgia's 68-66 victory over Florida State on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 17 points in the final seven minutes but came storming back to stun the Seminoles. Justin Hill's jumper in the last two seconds put the finishing touches on the incredible comeback, and the Florida State crowd was left stunned.
While both fan bases are likely more concerned with the College Football Playoff race than the early basketball season, Georgia now has wins over two ACC teams after defeating Wake Forest earlier this month.
Hill was the hero, but Silas Demary Jr. led the team in scoring with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. RJ Melendez added a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Arkansas defeats No. 7 Duke, 80-75
There are few things that will get a November college basketball crowd going more than a home game against Duke, and Arkansas delivered in front of a raucous environment.
The Razorbacks notched an 80-75 victory over the nation's No. 7 team in a result the selection committee will surely circle come March. And it couldn't have come at a better time for a team that was reeling some following losses to UNC Greensboro, Memphis and North Carolina.
Only two Arkansas players scored in double figures, but they were effective enough to spearhead the win. Trevon Brazile notched a double-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, while Khalif Battle exploded for 21 points, five assists and five rebounds off the bench.
Arkansas' defense was also dialed in and held the Blue Devils to 35.8 percent shooting from the field.
Jeremy Roach (22 points) and Kyle Filipowski (26 points and 10 rebounds) did what they could for Duke, but they didn't receive enough help elsewhere. The Blue Devils also lost to Michigan State earlier this season but still have a chance to pick up a marquee nonconference win over Baylor next month.
Arkansas' win and the late push from the SEC meant the challenge ended with each conference winning seven games.
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