2023 ACC/SEC Challenge results: Duke falls to Arkansas, Georgia beats USC as league duel ends in tie

March Madness We’re still four months away, but Wednesday offered a possible glimpse of what’s to come this spring. With the opening ACC/SEC challenge in the final moments on Wednesday, Georgia guard Justin Hill knocked down a jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining to not only give the Bulldogs a 68-66 win, but give the SEC a 7-7 tie in the first edition. From the event.

Seven games were played in the first leg of the event on Tuesday and the SEC held a 4-3 advantage going into the final day before the ACC won four of its last seven games. Overall, ranked SEC teams went 1-4 while ranked teams from the ACC finished 1-2. UNC and Kentucky were the only teams to avoid an upset.

The two standout matches at the event did not disappoint. No. 17 UNC made a statement in a 100-92 win over No. 10 Tennessee at home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Arkansas to pull off an 80-75 upset win over No. 7 Duke in front of a raucous crowd at Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Arkansas).

The Razorbacks suffered a few losses during last week’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament before earning their biggest win of the new season. The victory over Duke marked Eric Musselman’s 100th victory at the school.

In previous years, the ACC has competed against the Big Ten in the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The event ended last season, after the Big Ten signed a lucrative new media rights deal that did not include ESPN. Hence, the newly formed ACC/SEC Challenge emerged.

Wednesday’s ACC/SEC Challenge results

No. 17 North Carolina 100, No. 10 Tennessee 92: The Tar Heels became the first team to score 60 points in the first half against Tennessee since February 15, 2006 and a complete team effort helped UNC record its biggest win of the young season. Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram and RJ Davis each scored more than 20 points and freshman star Elliot Cado had 10 assists in the win. For Tennessee, star forward Dalton Knecht scored a season-high 37 points.

Arkansas 80, No. 7, Duke 75: Trevon Brazile scored 19 points and connected 4 of 7 from beyond the arc and Khalif Battle added 19 points off the bench to help the Razorbacks to one of the biggest wins of the Musselman era. Arkansas was coming off back-to-back losses to Memphis and North Carolina before bouncing back in a big way despite a late push by the Blue Daredevils. Duke senior star Kyle Filipowski recorded a double-double with xx points and xx rebounds.

Virginia 59, No. 14 Texas A&M 47: The Cavaliers put in a great defensive performance to hold the Aggies to 47 points and used a strong second half to pull away after falling behind in the final moments of the first 20 minutes of play. All five of Virginia’s starters scored in double figures, while simultaneously holding preseason All-American candidate Wade Taylor lV to a season-low nine points.

Wake Forest 82, Florida 71: Wake Forest outscored Florida 50-35 in the second half to earn a win at home behind big plays from Hunter Sallis and Andrew Carr. After going 0-2 against SEC opponents through the first three weeks of the season, the Demon Deacons recorded their biggest win of the season at home to move to 4-3. Florida’s Riley Cowgill recorded his third 20-plus point performance of the season.

Boston College 80, Vanderbilt 62: Quentin Post scored 24 points and Chudelle Harris Jr. added 22 points to help Boston College Coast achieve a landslide victory after strong control in the first half of play. The Eagles held Vanderbilt to 23 points through the first 20 minutes of play and were able to snap a two-game losing streak after starting the season 4-0.

Florida State 68, Georgia 66: It was perhaps the most exciting ending to the night in Tallahassee, Florida. Hill knocked down a powerful jumper to give the Bulldogs the win. Wednesday marked Georgia’s third game against an ACC team and they hold a 2-1 record against the conference.

Auburn 74, Virginia Tech 57: Tigers star Johnny Brohm had his best performance of the season in the win over the Hokies. Auburn dominated throughout the game thanks to 30 points and Broome grabbed 13 rebounds. The Tigers were able to hold Virginia Tech star guard Sean Pedulla to his worst performance of the season.

Tuesday’s ACC/SEC Challenge results

• No. 12 Kentucky 95, No. 8 Miami 73: The Wildcats had the most impressive showing of any team on day one. Kentucky outscored Miami 53-36 in the second half to secure a complete victory. Five Kentucky players scored in double figures and Reed Sheppard scored a team-high 19 points off the bench. Freshman star Justin Edwards scored 11 points on efficient 5-of-7 shooting.
• Syracuse 80, LSU 57: Speaking of big wins, the Orange earned the biggest win of the Adrian Autry era by shutting out the Tigers in the JWA Wireless Dome. Star Judah Mintz scored a season-high 33 points and added five rebounds and five assists in the win.
• Missouri 71, House 64: The Tigers went on the road and took down the Panthers by 21 points from Sean East LL. After suffering a devastating loss at home to Jackson State earlier this month, Mizzou appears to be back on track.
• South Carolina 65, Notre Dame 53: Gamecocks star Meecie Johnson scored a career-high 29 points in a 65-53 win over the Fighting Irish. South Carolina improved to 6-0 this season, its best start since 2016-17. After Notre Dame took a two-point lead midway through the second half, South Carolina finished the game with a score of 27-13.
• Georgia Tech 67, No. 21 Mississippi State 59: The Yellow Jackets upset the No. 21 Bulldogs behind 22 points and 12 rebounds from Myles Kelly. MSU started the season 6-0 and was without top All-American prospect Tolu Smith due to injury.
• Ole Miss 72, NC State 52: The Rebels improved to 6-0 in the Chris Beard era with a blowout win over NC State in Oxford, Mississippi. Ole Miss forward Jaemin Brakefield scored a season-high 25 points and Allen Flanigan had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
• Clemson 85, No. 23, Alabama 77: In the final game on Day 1 of the ACC/SEC Challenge, the Tigers went to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and upset the Crimson Tide. Clemson star PJ Hall scored 21 points and added eight rebounds and four blocks as the Tigers advanced to 6-0.