Florida State 73, UNC 70

All in all, I can't be too upset about this.

For a team hampered by Lawson's absence, this team did a lot right. They held their own on the boards. They disrupted the Seminole offense, forcing them outside and netting 11 steals. Bobby Frasor and Larry Drew did a good job slowing Toney Douglas down for the first half, and Ed Davis was a force inside, pulling down rebounds and changing shots all game. And Wayne Ellington carried the team at times, tossing up seventeen shots against a perimeter defense that increasingly focused on him as the game went on.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Danny Green was ice cold on offense, going 1-12, while Florida State was getting crucial three-pointers from typically ineffectual players like Chris Singleton and Derwin Kitchen. Even so, UNC was in the driver's seat with a minute to lay, before a bad foul from Danny Green and poor play from Hansbrough gave FSU four points from the line. That just left another poor endgame play - I'm not sure why a timeout wasn't called, but everyone knew the game was in Ellington's hands and responded accordingly - and a long trip home for the Heels.

I walk away from the ACC tournament feeling a little better about the team than I did after the Duke game. Larry Drew and Bobby Frasor showed the improvement at the point I'd like to see in a pressure situation, and Ed Davis in particular matured a bit as a player with increased minutes. (Zeller had a good Friday game as well, but layed rather poorly in limited minutes today.) UNC's championship hopes naturally depend on a healthy Ty Lawson, and here's hoping his toe improves, but the team is playing well enough to give him another week's rest, if required. Florida State is finishing on  a strong note, and here's hoping they can take out Duke and cut down the nets. Against the right teams, the Seminoles could have a good run in March.