Virginia notches key rivalry victory

By: Michael Phillips | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: February 21, 2012

BLACKSBURG The Hokies know perhaps better than anybody that victory can come by fractions of a second.

They also know the heartbreak of falling short in March, something they spent 40 minutes determined to pin on the Virginia Cavaliers Tuesday night.

Instead a gritty U.Va. squad used a zany 3-pointer and a duct-tape lineup to pull out a 61-59 victory at Cassell Coliseum.

Point guards Jontel Evans and Sammy Zeglinski each came up big with a few minutes remaining, but then fouled out, forcing two freshmen – one injured and one seldom-used – to finish one of the most critical games of the season.

Things got harrier when forward Akil Mitchell twice missed the front end of one-and-one free throws. The Hokies had the ball with 17.6 seconds left down by two points.

But freshman Malcolm Brogdon, playing with an injured foot, stole a pass intended for Dorenzo Hudson with 2 seconds remaining, and missed a free throw to trigger the final ticks of the clock.

“We were leaking oil at the end,” coach Tony Bennett said. “But we hung tough enough, and came away with a hard-fought victory.”

He wasn’t the only unsung hero of the night. Freshman guard Paul Jesperson, who didn’t start playing until Christmas break, finished off Mike Scott’s jumper to give the ‘Hoos a six-point lead with a minute remaining.

Erick Green converted a basket and foul shot to cut the game back to one possession as the crowd came to life. Things had been breaking the Wahoos’ way all day, though, starting with Evans hitting a 3-point shot as the shot clock expired with 3 minutes remaining. Coach Tony Bennett described it as “improbable.”

It may not have happened. Television replays showed that the ball left Evans’ hand after the shot clock expired. The play was not reviewed, though multiple replay breaks were taken because of clock problems.

Evans said afterward that he had hit a similar shot once “in high school, but they didn’t count it because I didn’t beat the shot clock.”

This time, that didn’t matter.

Also going the Cavaliers’ way was the ACC scoreboard, with NC State and Miami both losing.

Virginia (21-6, 8-5) now has a firm hold on fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and has guaranteed a .500 conference record that will help its case in front of the NCAA tournament selection committee.

Virginia Tech (15-13, 4-9) at one point led by nine, but faded during a key second-half stretch.

The Wahoos’ starting five was called on to play big minutes across the board, including a near wire-to-wire effort by senior Scott, who continued his reign of terror in the ACC.

“We knew that Virginia Tech was trying to stop our tournament dreams, like we did theirs last year,” he said.

Scott had 20 points, part of a 60 percent shooting day across the board for the Wahoos.

The Hokies countered with an 8-for-16 mark from behind the arc.

Virginia’s other guards were solid contributors as well. Joe Harris continued to look more comfortable with his hand brace, while Zeglinski had a key second-half 3-pointer to tie the game 49-49.

Evans then drove the lane to extend that lead as part of a 17-2 run that gave the ‘Hoos a lead they would not relinquish, even as the Hokies tried a furious comeback.

It was the type of win Virginia Tech has been used to in recent years, instead going Virginia’s well. Still, in a frantic March, the work is never over.

“We’ll go back to work and get ready for UNC,” Scott said afterward.