FSU Slams No. 1 Tar Heels

North Carolina can start focusing on a national championship, the AP reports. The nation’s top-ranked team was denied a shot at its third straight Atlantic Coast Conference title. Toney Douglas scored 27 points, including the go-ahead free throws, and No. 22 Florida State held on for a 73-70 victory over the Tar Heels in the ACC semifinals today. Despite the loss, North Carolina is likely to get a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

Still, it was a stunning defeat for the team that had won the last two ACC tournaments, eliminating Florida State each time. Today's game came down to the final seconds, after Tyler Hansbrough, the reigning national player, lost control of the ball and and gave FSU a chance to pull ahead by three. The Tar Heels came down for a final shot—getting two chances—but both missed, setting off a raucous Seminoles celebration.
(More 2009 NCAA Tournament stories.)