Cal 82, Virginia Tech 73 (2 OT)
Fifteenth-seeded Cal, in its inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, shook off a four-OT loss just three days prior to outlast No. 10 Virginia Tech in double overtime. Andrej Stojakovic scored 29 points, and the Golden Bears (14-18) tallied the first eight points in the second OT, snapping a 1-7 stretch. Rytis Petraitis contributed 16. Brandon Rechsteiner (19) and Tobi Lawal (17) led the Hokies (13-19). Cal advances to meet seventh-seeded Stanford on Wednesday.
Key Plays:
- Virginia Tech led 65-61 in the first OT after a Brandon Rechsteiner triple, but Petraitis reeled off four points to tie it.
- Stojakovic’s late free throws forced the second extra session at 67-67.
- Cal scored the first eight points in the second OT and never looked back.
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Syracuse 66, Florida State 62
Behind JJ Starling’s 27 points and five rebounds, No. 14 seed Syracuse (14-18) beat the No. 11 Seminoles, earning consecutive wins for the first time since early January. The Orange move on to face sixth-seeded SMU in Wednesday’s second round. The defeat closes out Florida State’s season at 17-15, ending Leonard Hamilton’s coaching tenure at FSU. Luke Loucks will take over as head coach next season.
Key Plays:
- Starling’s hot shooting helped Syracuse maintain a second-half edge, halting any FSU comeback threats.
- The Seminoles went scoreless in the final minute, sealing their exit.
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Notre Dame 55, Pittsburgh 54
A free throw by Tae Davis with 0.5 seconds to play lifted 12th-seeded Notre Dame (15-17) past the 13th-seeded Panthers in Charlotte’s ACC tournament opener. After Irish star Markus Burton’s miss, Davis grabbed the rebound and was fouled, splitting the free throws to clinch the win. It’s the third straight victory for Notre Dame, which now meets fifth-seeded North Carolina on Wednesday. Jalan Lowe (17 points) and Cameron Corhen (10) led Pitt (17-15), which dropped five of its final six.
Key Plays:
Pitt’s season ended with a narrow defeat after being stymied at the line.
Notre Dame overcame an off night from Burton (a 10-point outing) with a balanced effort.
Davis’ last-second board and foul triggered the final margin.
