DURHAM, N.C.—The third time was the charm. Displaying its trademark never-say-die mentality, Virginia mounted its third rally in four games, capturing the ACC baseball championship with a 6-3 victory over top-seeded Florida State at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Richmond may not have minor-league baseball, but the local high school programs have unofficially become a farm system for the ACC. As the conference’s postseason tournament begins this week, several teams playing in Durham have an area player making contributions. Leading that group is Georgia Tech’s Deck McGuire, a Deep Run grad who this week was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year. The honor reflects his meteoric rise from weekday pitcher to Friday night ace.

ATLANTA—It defies the odds, but this Duke team has defied a lot of odds. In winning three games in three days and capturing the 56th ACC tournament, the Blue Devils shot better from beyond the 3-point line than they did inside it. They saved their best for last yesterday in a 79-69 championship-game victory over Florida State.

Duke is back in a familiar position: champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The No. 9 Blue Devils swamped upstart Florida State with a barrage of 3-pointers on the way to a 79-69 victory in the title game Sunday, giving Duke its ninth ACC crown in 12 years.

Jon Scheyer scored 22 points, and Duke rode a 12-2 second-half run to beat Maryland 67-61 yesterday and earn a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship game. Kyle Singler added 14 points for No. 9 Duke, which will face Florida State today. North Carolina fans led the boos from the Georgia Dome crowd every time coach Mike Krzyzewski and Duke players took the court—with many anticipating the two conference powers would meet in today’s championship game. North Carolina closed the regular season with a home win over Duke.

North Carolina can start focusing on a national championship. 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 yesterday.

ATLANTA—The Duke Blue Devils and the Florida State Seminoles won their ACC tournament semifinal games today to advance to tomorrow’s final. Duke’s Jon Scheyer scored 22 points and the Blue Devils rode a 12-2 second-half run to beat the Maryland Terps 67-61. Florida State’s Toney Douglas scored 27 points and the No. 22 Seminoles held on for a 73-70 victory over the top-ranked University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

Jon Scheyer scored 22 points and Duke rode a 12-2 second-half run to beat Maryland 67-61 on Saturday and earn a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship game.

North Carolina can start focusing on a national championship. 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 Saturday.

If not for Tyler Hansbrough, Virginia Tech might well be poised to celebrate a second consecutive invitation to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Because of Hansbrough, the Hokies appear headed to the NIT for the second year in a row. A year ago tomorrow, the All-American’s baseline jumper with 0.8 seconds left lifted North Carolina to a 68-66 victory over Tech in the ACC tournament semifinals at Charlotte, N.C.

NCAA tournament bid unlikely following emotional loss to UNC Malcolm Delaney knows he can wish. He can hope. He can pray. But he also knows wishes, hopes and prayers often go unfulfilled and unanswered in mid-March, the cruelest days of the college basketball season. So Delaney, Virginia Tech’s sophomore guard and locker-room leader, is not looking forward to watching tomorrow’s NCAA tournament selection show.

If University of Virginia officials are considering a coaching change in men’s basketball, they’re not letting on publicly. “Dave’s our coach,“ Craig Littlepage said simply in an e-mail to the Richmond Times-Dispatch yesterday, and U.Va.‘s athletic director didn’t elaborate when asked a second time about Dave Leitao’s status for 2009-10.

Virginia Tech 65, Miami 47
Georgia Tech 86, Clemson 81
Maryland 74, N.C. State 69
Boston College 76, U.Va. 63
  YESTERDAY’S QUARTERFINALS
UNC 79, Virginia Tech 76
Florida State 64, Ga. Tech 62
Maryland 75, Wake Forest 64
Duke vs. Boston College, late
  TODAY’S SEMIFINALS
UNC vs, Florida State, 1:30 p.m.

ATLANTA—Gerald Henderson scored the go-ahead basket with 34.8 seconds remaining and No. 9 Duke held on for a 66-65 ACC tournament victory over Boston College on Friday night. Rakim Sanders missed a last-second 3-pointer for Boston College after missing a jumper with 17.8 seconds left. Kyle Singler matched his career high with 26 points, Henderson had 16 and Jon Scheyer had 14 for Duke (26-6), which will face Maryland in the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals on Saturday.

Maryland figured it needed two more wins to lock up a spot in the NCAA tournament. It got just that — and a chance at another one — Friday night when Greivis Vasquez scored 22 points and the Terrapins advanced to the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament with a crucial 75-64 upset of No. 9 Wake Forest, which was doomed by its worst shooting performance of the season.