If you read my article last week, I harped on the Hokies inability to win games down the stretch. Tonight’s game was another example of how Tech just can’t seem to win the one’s that they need to win when the month of March draws near.
The Hokies best record over their last 8 ACC games since joining the ACC is 4-4. This year’s squad could finish 3-5 if they fail to win another game. If they are able to win one of their final two they will finish 4-4, which is no better than the tournament team back in 2007.
Tech’s problem at this point is the lack of a marquee win. Wake has since fallen off after losing to the Hokies in Blacksburg and Clemson went on the same slide after their loss back in early February. The Hokies biggest win at this point might be over a Seton Hall squad that is really close at sneaking into the top 50 in the RPI.
Virginia Tech St. Patrick's Day Store
A win against Maryland would have all but sealed Tech’s fate of making the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years. But, thanks to talented Maryland team, the Hokies are now cornered with their backs against the wall with two tough games left on the schedule.
The first half of this game went about as well as you could have hoped for the Hokies. Tech led 37-31 at the half and had clear control of this game going into the locker room. The turning point in this game came at the 16:37 mark, after Terrell Bell knocked down his first three. Tech led 50-42 but over the next three minutes Maryland went on a 14-2 run that gave them a four-point lead. During this run Vasquez hit three three-pointers and scored 11 of Maryland’s 14 points.
The rest of the second half was a battle as neither team could hold on to more than a four point lead. A jumper by Maryland’s Eric Hayes gave the Terps a two point lead, Delaney raced down the court and was able to score on an uncontested layup to send the game into overtime.
Tech was able to squander a few Terrapin chances and thanks to a late three pointer by Terrell Bell, the Hokies were able to send this game into another overtime. In the second O.T. the Hokies failed to ever grab and lead and trailed the Terps throughout the final five minutes.
After a missed Hayes free throw, Tech had a chance to go for the tie or the win with just 15 seconds left. Delaney gave up the ball with five seconds left to a wide open Erick Green in the corner who missed the three-pointer sealing the Hokies fate.
The loss will be a tough one for the kids to swallow. At one point they were 8-3 with a chance at first place in the ACC. Now, they are 8-6 and fighting for their lives.
Stats
Bullet Points
- Vasquez is a tough matchup for any ACC team at 6’6” but I thought Greenberg would have tried to put Bell on him from the start. Instead Vasquez was guarded by just about everybody on the team, although Delaney guarded him for the last 30 minutes. For the most part Delaney did a good job in overtime and at the end of the second half but last night was Vasquez’s night. He went 13-33 from the field, which isn’t a great percentage but every time the Hokies were poised to go on a run, Vasquez would hit a big shot to real them back in.
- JT Thompson’s three pointer at near the end of the first half shows how clutch JT has been this season. When the Hokies needed him to step up in OT against UVA, he came through. Last night when he got an open look for three, he took it and made it. Thompson entered the night just 1-4 on the season from behind the arc but he launched that one like he was J.J. Reddick.
- Saturday nights game was truly a breath of fresh air in the sense that Jeff Allen was able to play a lot of minutes, for the first time in about six games. Allen stayed out of foul trouble and dominated Landon Milbourne on the inside. I said last week that Allen was playing some of his best basketball but because of his lack of minutes, you couldn’t really get a gauge on how well he was playing. Saturday night was a big night for the Big Donut, hopefully the momentum he gets from this performance carries over throughout the rest of the season.
- The biggest hustle play of the night has to go to Ben Boggs. Bell picked up his second foul with 4:18 left in the first half and Greenberg decided to put in the Roanoke native on the wing. On the Hokies first offensive possession with Boggs on the floor, Delaney air-balled a three but Boggs went racing under the basket, caught the ball and pulled it back out. The result of that ended up being a JT Thompson layup and the Hokies were able to extend the lead to three.
- I’m sure the biggest question on everybody’s mind is what the Hokies now have to do to avoid going back to the NIT and actually make the NCAA tournament this year. Tech sits at 21-7 and 8-6 in the conference with a home date against NC State and a road game at Georgia Tech left on the schedule. In my opinion Tech needs to get to 10 wins in order to get a bid. If they win the last two games, they’re in the tournament. If they go 1-1 but win an ACC tournament game, then they are in. The good news is that thanks to Clemson, Wake, and Georgia Tech all losing a couple games, the Hokies still have a shot at finishing fourth in the ACC. If they go 1-1 over their last two games and Clemson, Georgia Tech and Wake only win one more, the Hokies will get that fourth seed. Right now, Tech controls their own destiny if they want a bye in the ACC tournament.
Next Up
Next up for the Hokies is a home date with NC State on Wednesday March 3rd. The Wolfpack will enter Cassell Coliseum with a 4-10 conference record and will look to keep their current winning streak alive. The Pack dominated Wake Forest last weekend then beat Miami down in Miami on Saturday. This is senior day for Lewis Whitcher and Paul Debnam so expect the Hokies to come out with a little extra fire in their stomachs for this one.
Enjoy this post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed and never miss another! Or sign up to get exclusive VirginiaTechFan.com Sports Analysis delivered straight to your inbox!
