On Day 1 of the ACC women’s tournament, higher seeds have their way in Greensboro

Day 1 of the ACC women’s tournament in Greensboro didn’t disappoint, though despite the parity the league displayed all season, all three teams with higher seeds advanced out of the first day of action.

Here’s how the first day of the tournament shook out:

No. 10 Clemson vs. No. 15 Pitt

The Tigers (17-14, 7-11) dominated the Panthers (10-20, 3-15) in a 71-53 win, behind a career-high 19 points from senior forward Hannah Hank.

With the win, Clemson moves on to face No. 7 North Carolina in the second round on Thursday. That game is set to tip off at 6 p.m.

First, though, Clemson had to get past Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Hank, a 6-foot-2 forward, was 3-of-6 from distance. She was part of a record-setting performance for the Tigers, whose 11 3-pointers Wednesday were the most in a postseason game in program history.

Daisha Bradford, who led the Tigers in scoring in Clemson’s last contest against UNC, had 15 points Wednesday. Her well rounded performance, with six assists and four steals, demonstrates what a multi-faceted offensive threat Bradford can be.

Since UNC and Clemson’s last matchup, which marked North Carolina redshirt freshman Kayla McPherson’s first game in more than 800 days, the Tar Heels have had the chance to experiment with a multitude of lineups. Due to injuries suffered by junior small forward Alyssa Ustby and redshirt senior Eva Hodgson, players like freshman guard Paulina Paris and junior forward Alexandra Zelaya took turns in the starting lineup.

This should prepare the Tar Heels to give the Tigers a very different look as they prepare to play Clemson again, though if Hank can stay hot, UNC may be troubled by her size and ability to stretch the floor.

The last time the two teams met was in January, when UNC defeated the Tigers 69-58. North Carolina leads the all-time series 69-58 and is 11-4 all-time against Clemson in the ACC Tournament.

No. 12 Wake Forest 68, No. 13 Virginia 57

The Demon Deacons (15-15, 5-13) defeated the Cavaliers (15-15, 4-14), 68-57, to advance to the second round of the ACC Tournament. The third quarter proved most crucial for Wake Forest, as the Demon Deacons outscored the Cavaliers by 12 points.

Wake Forest moves on to face No. 5 Florida State at 11 a.m. Thursday.

No. 11 Boston College 62, No. 14 Georgia Tech 57

The Eagles (15-16, 5-13) defeated the Yellow Jackets (13-16, 4-14), 62-57, to earn their way into the second round of the ACC Tournament. Georgia Tech made a late push and shrunk the BC lead to single digits, but a 17-point deficit in the third quarter was too much to overcome.

Boston College will face No. 6 Miami on Thursday at 8 p.m.

Wolfpack ready to roll

No. 8 N.C. State will take on the No. 9 Syracuse Orange on Thursday at 2 p.m. in the second round. Both teams earned a first-day bye. N.C. State has won its past six games against Syracuse, the last being a tight 56-54 victory on the road on New Year’s Day.

Although N.C. State has dropped significantly through the standings and national rankings this year, the Wolfpack still has the chance to make history. An ACC Tournament win would make N.C. State the first program in conference history to win four tournament titles in a row. The first step toward that path is a win over the Orange on Thursday, who enter the tournament with one ranked win on their resume.

This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 1:21 AM.