Kessler scores 20 as Tar Heels upset No. 11 Seminoles

Walker Kessler, a Woodward Academy graduate, scored a season-high 20 points to help North Carolina upset No. 11 Florida State 78-70 on Saturday, earning a needed victory to boost its NCAA Tournament chances while giving coach Roy Williams his 900th career victory.

The 7-foot-1 freshman had 14 of his points after halftime in an huge performance off the bench, providing a game-changing spark for a team that was down 16 with 2½ minutes before halftime.

Trailing 41-29 at halftime, the host Tar Heels (15-8, 9-5 ACC) shot 50% after halftime. But more importantly, they rode Kessler’s production to better production in the paint while cutting down on the turnovers that undercut any offensive flow in the opening half.

By the end, the Tar Heels were knocking down clinching free throws and denying comeback bids from the ACC’s top team just days after a clunker of a performance in a home loss to Marquette.

Kerwin Walton added 13 points for North Carolina, which made all 10 of its free throws in the final 2:15 to stay in control.

RaiQuan Gray scored 17 points to lead the Seminoles (14-4, 10-3), who went from being in firm control to watching it slip away amid a mistake-filled second half. As North Carolina built confidence, Florida State shot just 32% after the break and committed more turnovers (12) than field goals (11).

When it was over, the Tar Heels joined Williams at midcourt to quickly honor Williams for the milestone victory after becoming just the fourth Division I men’s coach to hit 900 wins.

(At) No. 16 Virginia Tech 84, Wake Forest 46: Keve Aluma scored 23 points, Tyrece Radford had 15, and No. 16 Virginia Tech pounded Wake Forest.

Virginia Tech recorded its largest margin of victory for an ACC game. The previous record for the Hokies was a 94-65 win over Wake Forest in 2011.

Virginia Tech shot 68% (19 of 28) from the field in the first half and led by 27 at the break. The Hokies (15-5, 9-4) won for the fourth time in six games and remain in third place in the ACC standings.

Jonah Antonio led the Demon Deacons (6-13, 3-13) with 12 points. Wake Forest has lost five straight games.

(At) Clemson 66, Miami 58: Aamir Simms and Al-Amir Dawes each scored 19 points, and Clemson beat short-handed Miami for its fifth straight victory.

Clemson took the first double-digit lead of the game during a 6-0 run to make it 57-44 with 9:17 to go. Miami scored the next 10 to get within three points at 5:16 but the Hurricanes only made one more field goal the rest of the way.

Dawes made all four of his 3-point attempts, and Simms and Hunter Tyson added three each as Clemson hit 11 of 22 from distance and shot 49% overall.

Tyson finished with 10 points and six rebounds for Clemson (155, 9-5 ACC). Coach Brad Brownell picked up win No. 200 at Clemson.

Isaiah Wong led Miami (7-15, 3-15), which only had six scholarship players, with 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting.

(At) Boston College 94, Notre Dame 90: Jay Heath scored 19 points, and Boston College sank seven of eight free throws in the final 45 seconds to beat Notre Dame and give interim coach Scott Spinelli a victory in his first game as a college head coach.

DeMarr Langford had 17 points and six rebounds, making a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left after the Fighting Irish cut a 12-point second-half deficit to two, 90-88. He sank two more foul shots with 6 seconds left to ice it.

Makai Ashton-Langford had 18 points and six assists for the Eagles (4-13, 2-9 ACC), who won for the first time since Jan. 12 and in its first game since Jim Christian was fired on Feb. 15.

Prentiss Hubb scored 23 of his 28 points in the second half for Notre Dame (9-13, 6-10).