Virginia-Duke rematch in ACC tournament final. Let's do this

Virginia coach Tony Bennett discusses creating momentum heading into this week’s ACC tournament.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Both fan bases were infuriated, and maybe still are. Such was the fallout from Virginia’s overtime conquest of Duke last month.

Well, to reference Mike Krzyzewski’s favorite deities, “the basketball gods” have done the ACC tournament a solid with a Cavaliers-Blue Devils rematch in Saturday night’s championship game.

Both are NCAA tournament locks and want to hang another ACC title banner, but after what transpired in Charlottesville on Feb. 11, coaches, players and partisans on both sides figure to be wired for sound.

But before rehashing that clash, a few words about Friday’s semifinals.

Virginia advanced with a 76-56 punishment of Clemson as Jayden Gardner (23 points and 12 rebounds) owned the paint for the second straight night. Conversely, Duke flowed past Miami 85-78 behind ACC Freshman of the Year Kyle Filipowski (17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists).

Filipowski was central to the contentious final sequence of regulation in the only UVa-Duke collision of the regular season.

As many recall, official Tim Clougherty called a foul as Reece Beekman, the Defensive Player of the Year, deflected Filipowski’s dunk attempt at the horn. But after video review, the officials said the foul was on trailing defender Ryan Dunn and occurred after time expired.

The Cavaliers won in OT 69-62.

Hours later, the ACC announced that an obscure rule dictated that even though officials believed the foul came after the horn, they should have awarded Filipowski two free throws.

Duke faithful thought they’d been robbed. Virginia fans believed their team’s victory had been tainted by a phantom foul.

Minds will never be swayed, and it just seems right that these quality teams reunite in the conference tournament. Gardner, Beekman, Kihei Clark and friends against Filipowski, Tyrese Proctor, Dariq Whitehead and Co.

“The game ended in a crazy way,” Beekman said. “Just to have the opportunity to play them again, and play for an ACC championship, we’re going to be ready.”