Florida State Hangs Championship Game, Loses Opener

LEN (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)Uneven start for ACC basketball includes one "bad" loss (Florida State) and one "good" loss (Maryland).South Alabama (Jaguars, 15,007 students, Mobile, AL) 76, #25 FLORIDA STATE 71 - The Noles raised their ACC Championship banne then promptly struggled every step of the way in a loss to the Jaguars. Antoine Allen hit four 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead South Alabama and Augustine Rubit added 12. The Jags shot shot 9 of 15 from 3-point range. Recap.#3 Kentucky (Wildcats, 28,094 students, Lexington, KY) 72, MARYLAND 69 - A few days ago, we said Dez Wells made Maryland a much better team.  Had Wells shot just a little better (2-12), the Terps may have pulled off the upset.  That said, his 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assist are just a sample of why this is a very different Terp squad.  Seven-foot-1 sophomore Alex Len led Maryland with 23 points and 12 rebounds, both career highs. His rare three-point play - he made the first free throw then rebounded his own miss of the second - brought the Terrapins within 70-69 with 8.9 seconds left.  James Padgett added 10 and Nick Faust 11 for Maryland who made just 3 of 19 from behind the arc. Recap.    #6 N.C. STATE 95, Miami (OH) (Red Hawks, 20,126 students, Oxford, OH) 59 - The Wolpack allowed just one field goal over the final nine minutes of the first half. Game over. , to cruise to a 97-59 victory on opening night at PNC Arena, Friday. State had six scorers in double figures, led by freshman Rodney Purvis and senior Richard Howell who eached chipped in 16. Howell scored his on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, and added 10 rebounds to notch a double-double. Recap.#8 DUKE 74, Georgia State (Panthers, 40,000 students, Atlanta, GA) 55 - Mason Plumlee had 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead Duke to a relatively easy win. "It was OK. It wasn't an efficient game - a lot of turnovers, some things I should have finished," Plumlee said. "But it's the first game of the season. We aren't supposed to be peaking right now. I'll be alright, and I'll be better the next game."  Recap.McADOO ABOUT TO MISS A FREE THROW (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)#11 NORTH CAROLINA 76, Gardner-Webb (Runnin’ Bulldogs, 4,300 students, Boiling Springs, NC) 59 - James Michael McAdoo was good, the supporting cast was there in a lack luster Tar Heel opener.  McAdoo shot 10 of 20 from the field in the first game of the season for both teams. Dexter Strickland dded 13 points for the Tar Heels, who improved to 91-12 in openers. North Carolina overcame 18 turnovers, 1-of-12 shooting from 3-point range and a 9-of-19 mark at the free throw line to win for the 80th time in its last 82 home openers. Recap.GEORGIA TECH 79, Tulane (Green Wave, 13,359 students, New Orleans, LA) 61 - Kammeon Holsey, who didn't start due to an ankle injury, scored 18 points as the Jackets opened their new McCamish Pavilion, built on the site of the Yellow Jackets' old Alexander-Memorial Coliseum.  Josh Davis led Tulane (0-1) with a career-high 27 points. Ricky Tarrant had 18. Recap.WAKE FOREST 79, Radford (Highlanders, 9,370 students, Radford, VA) 67 - Six Wake Forest players scored in double figures led by C.J. Harris' 19 points. The Deacons (1-0) shot 63.6 percent (28-of-44) from the floor - the 14th-best shooting mark in school history and the best since shooting 64.2 percent in a win over Georgia Tech in the 2007 ACC Tournament - to vanquish the Highlanders (0-1) who went only 37.9 percent from the field. Recap. MIAMI 87, Stetson (Hatters, 2,776 students, DeLand, FL) 79 - Reggie Johnson scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Kenny Kadji finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Canes.  Miami trailed by seven late in the first half, then wasted most of a 13-point second-half lead before hanging on in the final minutes.  Recap. George Mason (Patriots, 20,782 students, Fairfax, VA) 63, VIRGINIA 59 - It’s way to early to say Tony Bennett’s Cavs need to win games like this, but Tony Bennett’s Cavs need to win games like this. Bryon Allen hit a go-ahead three-pointer with just over a minute remaining, then sank two free throws to seal the win. Recap.