Atlanta, GA – Since 1997, the Atlantic Coast Conference's two marquee teams had won 14 of 15 ACC Tournament titles.
No. 17 Florida State knocked off both in one thrilling weekend.
After ending No. 6 Duke's bid for its fourth consecutive championship on Saturday, the Seminoles took home their first ACC tourney trophy with an 85-82 defeat of No. 4 North Carolina in Sunday's final.
Michael Snaer scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting to pace FSU (24-9). Deividas Dulkys netted 16 while Luke Loucks posted a 10-point, 13-assist double-double for the Seminoles, who defeated both Duke and UNC in the regular season as well.
"You got to give our kids a lot of credit," said Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton in a televised courtside interview after the game. "They've showed an awful lot of character. They've maintained the right attitude."
Harrison Barnes had a game-high 23 points and Tyler Zeller poured in 19 while grabbing 12 rebounds for the Tar Heels (29-5), who are still expected to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Kendall Marshall contributed 15 points and nine assists in defeat.
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