NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 09: Darius Maddox #13 reacts after his game-winning three-point basket during overtime against the Clemson Tigers in the 2022 Men’s ACC Basketball Tournament – Second Round at Barclays Center on March 09, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Hokies won 76-75. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
March Madness is alive and well, and the Virginia Tech Hokies still have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament thanks to a crazy buzzer-beater.
Phew, the Virginia Tech Hokies just got their first taste of positive March Madness thanks to an unbelievable buzzer beat shot by Darius Maddox.
Trailing by two points in the final seconds of a first round matchup in the ACC Tournament against Clemson, Maddox came screaming up the left side of the court and put up a last-second prayer.
Miraculously, it found the bottom of the net.
This is March, indeed. On one side, there’s the ultimate joy, and on the other, complete and utter disbelief. The Hokies’ 76-75 victory gives them one more chance to stay alive. At the same time, while beating the Tigers is good, they still have to take on Notre Dame in their next ACC Tournament game before they can even think about looking forward to the Big Dance.
An unbelievable finish considering at one point, the Hokies were up by 14. That is until Clemson surged back to force overtime and even take the lead, right up until the final shot.
Virginia Tech is still alive for an NCAA Tournament bid after a buzzer-beater against Clemson
Keve Aluma was Virginia Tech’s leading scorer in the win with 19 points, while Storm Murphy scored 15. Maddox finished the night with eight points, including the winning shot. Both Aluma and Murphy were the only players to finish in double-digit scoring.
On the other side, four players scored over ten points for Clemson. PJ Hall led the team with 16, Chase Hunter scored 13, and David Collins and Hunter Tyson scored 12. Unfortunately, while distribution was on point, the scoreboard showcased the ultimate result, defeat, and an end to the season.
Virginia Tech is another team that gets to enjoy the feeling of March Madness positivity this year. When things are good, everyone is happy. If not, there’s sadness and agony, and Clemson felt it at the last minute. Hopefully, March continues to be this much fun for the rest of the college basketball season.
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