Tech Sports Blog

Ecstatic. Redeemed. Relieved. All of those apply to how the Virginia Tech men’s hoops team must feel after their overtime win over Duke on Saturday, Jan 6th. I’m not sure what was more amazing – the fact that the Hokies dominated much of regulation or how they bounced back after Duke tied the game with a very difficult three pointer with 18 seconds left in regulation. When that shot hit, Hokies everywhere had images of last year flash in their heads. While I almost had a stroke, I still had faith that they could pull off one of the biggest road wins in Virginia Tech basketball history. That faith stemmed from the fact that I saw them play the entire 40 minutes of regulation with intensity and hunger. It also came from the miracle fade-away Jamon Gordon sank after slipping but before falling on his butt. When that shot hit, I had the feeling that Hokies could not lose that game. Although, I will admit my confidence was a little shaken when Duke forced overtime.

Tech jumped to an early lead and were one step ahead of the Blue Devils for much of the first half, forcing turnover after turnover. Thanks to the efforts of DeMarcus Nelson, Duke stepped up its game in the second half, and they took their first lead midway through the 2nd period. The Hokies never gave in to the pressures of Camerson Indoor Stadium, and they continued to battle through the end of regulation and into overtime. While Nelson hit a 3 to force overtime, there would be no miracle for Duke at the end of the extra period. Deron Washington made sure of that with a block of Greg Paulus’ 3-point attempt, and Paulus’ blocked shot flew out of bounds as time ran out.

When the horn blew, and Cameron went dead silent, I stood in my family room, hands on my head, wondering if the game was actually over. After the clock fiasco prior to the end of regulation, it wouldn’t have surprised me if the referees were going to give Duke another chance by adding a half-second or so to the clock. However, the refs signaled that the game was over, and they jogged off the court. They did it. The Hokies beat Duke in Cameron.

Chris Coleman, of TechSideline.com, notes in his recap, “The win marks Tech’s first win over a top five team since they beat #2 Memphis State 76-72 in Blacksburg in 1986. The last time the Hokies beat a top five team on the road came against Kentucky 80-77 in 1962. In other words, this one is one to remember.” Besides being one of the most memorable wins in Virginia Tech basketball history, this win washed away the blues that Hokie Nation was feeling after New Year’s. The football team’s loss to Georgia combined with the men’s basketball team’s loss to Marshall that same day put Virginia Tech fans into a funk of despair and hopelessness. Not only did we feel like we gave away the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but we felt like our hopes at a NCAA bid were flushed down the toilet when let one slip away at Marshall. Beating Duke on the road certainly raised the spirits of Hokies everywhere. Maybe this team can make it to the big dance.

Not only does this win serve as vindication for last year’s heart breaker, but I hope it will be the magic potion that will cure the ailments that have plagued the men’s basketball team since last season’s loss to Duke. We all remember last year for the tough losses and off-court issues the team had to deal with. Even with the hardships of last year, there were high expectations for basketball this year. The team features one of the most experienced backcourts in the country, and there was the thought that last year’s tumultuous season would only make the team tougher. Unfortunately, the Hokies lost some games they should have won, and they lost them close. It seemed as though they were picking up where they left off from last season.

This win should be a turning point for Virginia Tech hoops. They finally got a big win, on the road no less, by winning a close game. They made some clutch free throws, and Coleman Collins began to look like the talented player we know him to be. This win will give them confidence they haven’t felt since the 2004-5 season. And, for the time being, they sit at the top of the ACC standings, tied for 1st place.

Regardless of the outcome of the handful of remaining bowl games, if was I asked to summarize this year’s bowl season with just one word, I would say comeback. (Or is that two words?) So far there have been 6 teams to win their bowl games after being down by 8 or more points.

1. Florida State was down by 10 in the 2nd quarter and down by 7 at the half in their victory over UCLA in the Emerald Bowl.
2. In the Sun Bowl, Oregon State was down by 14 early in the 4th quarter before beating Missouri 39-38 with a 2 point conversion after their final touchdown with 23 seconds left in the game.
3. Texas Tech was losing to Minnesota 38-7 midway through the 3rd quarter in their overtime victory in the Insight Bowl. No, that’s not a typo. The Red Raiders were down 31 points with less than 23 minutes left in regulation and proceeded to hold the Golden Gophers scoreless during the remainder of regulation while scoring 4 touchdowns and a field goal to force overtime.
4. In the Meineke Car Care bowl, Navy held an 8 point lead in the 3rd quarter over Boston College, but the BC Eagles scored a touchdown midway through the 4th quarter and a game-winning field goal with the clock expiring to beat the Midshipmen 25-24. While this would have been a huge victory for Navy, it still was a feel-good win for Boston College. Steve Aponavicius, a walk-on who was in the stands last year, kicked the 37 yard field goal that won the game.
5. No Hokie will forget Georgia’s second half comeback in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Bulldogs were down by 18 at halftime before scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half to beat Virginia Tech 31-24.
6. West Virginia, also down by 18 in the 3rd quarter, scored 21 unanswered to beat Georgia Tech 38-35 in the Gator Bowl. Ironically, 38-35 was the final score in their upset win over Georgia in last year’s Sugar Bowl.

That list doesn’t include Oklahoma forcing overtime after coming back from an 18 point halftime deficit before losing to Boise State in last night’s Fiesta Bowl. I have no doubt that will have been the best game of this year’s bowl season. Oklahoma refused to quit in the second half and clawed their way back to take a late 7 point lead. What was even more impressive was that Boise State responded with equal guts and determination. Shame on you if you didn’t see that game!

Even if the remaining bowls are snoozers, I think this still will be one of the most exciting bowl seasons ever.

I’ve been debating what to write about Tech’s loss to Georgia in Saturday’s Chick-fil-A Bowl. Did I want to talk about Virginia Tech’s ineffective offense, only gaining 189 total yards? Or did I want to discuss how the Hokies got out-Beamerball’d in the second half with Georgia’s perfectly executed onside kick and Tech’s poorly executed onside kick? Perhaps I could talk about how Sean Glennon turned the ball over on 4 straight possessions. Or maybe Brandon Ore getting a measly 42 yards on 20 carries.

I could keep going, but I know you saw the game. You know that the Hokies’ second half meltdown felt like a kick in the groin. The last time I felt like that after a game was Miami 2005. To make matters worse, the men’s basketball team lost at Marshall earlier that day. Marshall is not a good team that Tech should have easily beaten. I have heard people say this loss will likely keep us out of the tournament. (Per RealTimeRPI.com, Tech’s is ranked 61 at the time of this writing.) Needless to say, the men’s basketball team needs to do some soul searching before they enter ACC play.

Instead of talking more about the game, as it is still fresh on everyone’s mind, I will conclude with something positive. The Chick-fil-A Bowl is a great event. Atlanta is a fun city (I went out all three nights I was down there), and the Georgia Dome is a great venue. I had just as much fun going to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta as I did 2 years ago when I went to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. I would go back to Atlanta in heartbeat. Also, the Georgia fans I ran into during the course of the weekend were awesome – very knowledgeable, loud & rowdy, and quite classy. I hope we get a chance to play Georgia again.