Virginia Tech stuns Clemson with OT buzzer-beater to keep NCAA tournament hope alive
Virginia Tech entered ACC tournament play on the wrong side of the bubble, needing some wins to make the NCAA tournament.
So far, so good. But barely.
After opening up a 46-32 second-half lead over Clemson on Wednesday, the Hokies looked well on their way to a quarterfinal matchup with Notre Dame on Thursday. But the Tigers rallied and closed regulation with an 18-7 run to tie the game at 66-66 with eight seconds remaining. Storm Murphy's desperation heave for Virginia Tech missed the mark as the final buzzer sounded, sending the game into overtime.
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Another chance to win at the buzzer
The outcome remained in the balance in the final seconds of the extra session after PJ Hall's 1-of-2 trip to the free throw line gave Clemson a 75-73 lead with 6.7 seconds remaining. It set Virginia Tech up with a chance at another last-second shot, this time of the do-or-die variety.
This one didn't miss. Sophomore Hokies guard Darius Maddox corralled the inbounds pass under the Virginia Tech basket and didn't give it up. He dribbled over halfcourt, squared up on the left wing beyond the 3-point line and launched a shot over the outstretched left hand on Clemson's Al-Amir Dawes. It found the bottom of the net as the buzzer sounded for a 76-75 Virginia Tech win.
𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛!!!! pic.twitter.com/hBrAMmBl4P
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 10, 2022
Maddox's teammates immediately sprinted from the bench to swarm him at the baseline in celebration.
"I just knew the team needed a bucket, we were desperate, we were down," Maddox told ESPN after the game. "I decided to take the shot."
It's a good thing for Virginia Tech that he did.
The victory doesn't secure an NCAA tournament bid for the Hokies. But it keeps them squarely in the at-large mix after a 19-12 regular season. A loss would have almost certainly relegated them to the NIT.
Up next, a tougher test in a Notre Dame team they beat in their only regular season matchup by a 79-73 margin on Jan. 15. Another win against the Irish would leave the Hokies faithful breathing much easier about their NCAA tournament chances.
