AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... FLORIDA STATE-NORTH CAROLINA Men's Basketball

UPDATE: Several photos from Sunday's game have been added to this post, so it has been re-posted for viewing purposes. 

4:02 PM -- It's over in Chapel Hill and the Heels take the win decisively by an 89-69 final score. The UNC reserves saw action in the final minute as the chant of "We Want Duke" rose from the Carolina student section.

UNC vs. Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium this Wednesday night should be a great contest!
Kendall Marshall finishes the game with a whopping 16 assists!

Thanks for reading, and look for a complete writeup in this week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

3:55 PM -- final official time out of the game as the Heels hold an 80-63 lead at the 3:26 mark. A number of fans are leaving the arena as they feel this one is in hand. We hope to post  photos from the game later this evening. Special thanks to my colleague and Milligan College SID Matt Laws, my photographer Meredith Stewart, as well as Steve Kirschner and staff with the UNC Athletic Communications Office for their assistance. Heels lead by 17 looking to close things out.

3:50 PM-- 4:15 remains in the game as a timeout is called by FSU. UNC outscores the Noles 14-9 since the last media timeout, capped by a long two-point bucket by Henson. UNC builds its largest lead at 80-62 over the Seminoles.

3:42 PM - the under 8 minute timeout comes with 7:33 left to play and the Tar Heels hold a 66-53 advantage. Tyler Zeller has come alive with a pair of baskets, but a three-pointer as the shot clock expired by Kendall Marshall ignited Carolina following a 9-0 run by the Seminoles that cut the UNC lead to 57-50 at the 10:59 mark.

FSU has multiple players with at least 3 personal fouls which might play a factor down the stretch if Florida State wants to cut into the NC lead. Carolina has four players in double-figures, led by Zeller with 14 and Strickland with 13 points.

3:31 PM -- Official timeout at 11:59 on the clock with UNC leading 57-46. Henson has five points in the second half as Carolina has been aggressively attacking the basket on the FSU bigs inside. lots of time left for the Noles to mount a comeback, however.

3:26 PM -- Carolina holds a 57-41 lead and a great assist by Marshall leads to a Zeller hoop and foul. The Heels hold its largest lead of the game at 16 with 13:59 left to play in the game.

3:19 PM -- First media timeout in the second half with 15:43 to play and the Heels lead 50-39. A Strickland three-pointer, along with a dunk from Henson and a bucket by Barnes boosts Carolina to its 11-point lead. Energetic crowd in the arena this afternoon.

2:57 PM -- Heels lead 43-34 at halftime. A field goal at the buzzer from Derwin Kitchen cut the lead under double figures at intermission. Dexter Strickland leads UNC with 10 points in the half, with 7 points from Harrison Barnes, six from Kendall Marshall and Justin Knox, with five points each from Zeller.

Okaro White leads Florida State with 8 points, with six points each from Bernard James, Michael Snaer, and Derwin Kitchen.

2:49 PM -- 2:16 remains in the half and the Heels make a run following an FSU spurt to build its lead back to 38-29. FSU had cut the lead to as close as 31-27, but a 7-2 run has padded the Carolina cushion. Dexter Strickland has been a spark plug for the Tar Heel offense with 10 points in the first half. Heels are shooting 50 percent (15-of-30) for the half thus far.

2:45 PM -- UNC scores four straight to build a 31-21 lead, forcing FSU coach Leonard Hamilton to take a timeout. Heels 10-pt margin matches its largest of the game thus far. 5:42 remains before halftime.

2:38 PM -- Media timeout at 7:49 left in the half. UNC leads 26-17. A rim rocking dunk by Barnes brought the crowd to its feet. Tyler Zeller picked up a second personal foul for UNC just prior to the media timeout. The Heels have been strong on the glass thus far, keeping an athletic Seminoles team off the boards for the most part thus far. Barnes, Zeller, and Strickland each have five points for Carolina thus far.

2:31 PM -- FSU takes a timeout as it trails 20-10 with 10:49 to play in the half. A three-point play by Harrison Barnes excited the crowd as the Heels have doubled up the 'Noles.

2:26 PM -- Tar Heels lead 14-8 over Florida State. Leslie MacDonald has added a three-pointer, with baskets from Strickland and Henson to push UNC out front. Okaro White has a bucket for FSU as 11:54 remains in the first half.

2:15 PM -- First media timeout at 15:46 and the Heels hold a 7-4 lead. A Marshall 3-pointer and buckets from Dexter Strickland and Harrison Barnes helps the Heels to the early lead.

2:00 PM We are LIVE in Chapel Hill at the Dean E. Smith Center for this afternoon's huge ACC hoops matchup between the Florida State Seminoles and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. The UNC JV team defeated Milligan College in the JV men's game earlier this morning 86-61.

Today's game pits the Tar Heels and the Seminoles in a battle for second place in the ACC standings. The Blue Devils currently sit atop the standings, and with the rivalry game between Dook and Carolina looming in Durham on Wednesday, UNC must remain focused on the task at hand this afternoon and not overlook a very talented Seminoles team.

The Tar Heels have won four games in a row and nine of their last ten after beating Boston College 106-74 on Tuesday night. Florida State has won five of its last six games and is coming off of an 85-61 win over Wake Forest on Tuesday night at home. This game is the second in a four-game stretch of four games (three on the road) in 12 days. Carolina will travel to Duke and Clemson next Wednesday and Saturday. Carolina leads the series with Florida State 40-10 but the Seminoles have won two straight, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive Carolina victories. Carolina is 13-4 in the Smith Center against FSU. Carolina will be playing in its 14th Super Bowl Sunday game and is 8-5 in such games. This will be the third meeting between the two teams on Super Bowl Sunday in the last five years (Carolina is 2-0 in those games).


Fox Sports Net has the TV coverage, as well as radio coverage on the Tar Heel Sports Network. We'll be providing updates throughout the game from the Dome.