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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville has been dominant and resilient at times during its nine-game winning streak. The No. 5 Cardinals now looking to be more consistent at they try to win their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in men's basketball. While comeback wins have demonstrated their resolve, second-year coach Chris Mack wants the Cardinals to take charge early. They'll need to be at the top of their game against defending national champion Virginia, which has won the past nine meetings between the teams and leads the series 15-4. The Cavaliers enter the ACC matchup leading the nation in several defensive categories.
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney's first task after his team's national title loss last month was crystal clear: Make sure his players weren't crushed by defeat. After all, a good chunk of the roster including quarterback Trevor Lawrence had never lost a college game before falling to LSU 42-25 to end a 29-game win streak. Swinney spent time watching Lawrence and other interact with assistant coaches and teammates and came away impressed with their focus on what's next. That's carried over into the past month as Clemson prepares to start its program of winter workouts and soon after spring practice.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Elijah Hughes has found a home at Syracuse. The native of Beacon, New York, transferred after his freshman year at East Carolina and is thriving in his second year playing for Orange coach Jim Boeheim. Hughes leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring at just over 19 points per game and has combined with sophomore guard Buddy Boeheim to form the most prolific long-range shooting duo among the Power Five conferences. They've combined for 137 3-pointers in 22 games. Hughes was named a finalist this week for the Julius Erving Award, presented annually to the top small forward in men's college basketball.
UNDATED (AP) — One of the biggest rivalries in college basketball will be played at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina when No. 7 Duke visits the Tar Heels. But the meeting Saturday is unlike any in recent memory with North Carolina having only escaped the ACC basement because co-cellar dwellers Miami and Wake Forest lost on Wednesday night. The Tar Heels hope top scorer Cole Anthony will continue rounding into form in his third game back from knee surgery. So far that hasn't been the case as Roy Williams' team has lost both games since Anthony's return.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina is trying to find an offensive rhythm now that star freshman point guard Cole Anthony is back from knee surgery. The Tar Heels have lost both contests since Anthony's return after missing 11 games. They're trying to mesh Anthony's style with the inside attack that helped them win two games immediately before he rejoined them on the court. That includes getting junior big man Garrison Brooks going in the paint. UNC has the lowest offensive efficiency rating of coach Roy Williams' 17 years with the program. The Tar Heels host seventh-ranked rival Duke on Saturday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kiah Gillespie scored 25 points to lead No. 17 Florida State to a 67-59 upset over No. 5 Louisville. Nicki Ekhomu added 18 points as the Seminoles ended Louisville's win streak at 13 games. Florida State trailed for just 13 seconds in the game as Gillespie helped set the tone early. In the first half, she scored nine of her points and grabbed 10 of her 13 rebounds. Dana Evans led Louisville with 18 points and eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark for her career. Bionca Dunham added 14 for the Cardinals.
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott has received a raise and will earn $1.6 million a year. The increase ties him for the highest-paid offensive assistant in college football. Elliott has been the Tigers co-coordinator for the past five years. He received a $600,000 raise and a one-year extension on his contract after school trustees approved deals for several of the team's football staffers Thursday. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables had his contract extended through the 2024 season, although he did not receive a raise on his annual salary of $2.2 million. The Tigers lost in the national title game to LSU last season.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Elissa Cunane scored 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead No. 7 North Carolina State to a 71-59 victory over Virginia Tech. Cunane registered her ACC-leading 12th double-double. Aislinn Konig and Jakia Brown-Turner added 11 points each for NC State. The Wolfpack beat Virginia Tech for the sixth consecutive time and ended the Hokies' 16-game home winning streak. Taja Cole paced the Hokies with 19 points and Dara Mabrey had 15.
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