CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Virginia Tech forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a game-high 21 points, but it wasn't quite enough, as Florida State's Terance Mann hit a jumper with 1.8 seconds left to lift the No. 12 Seminoles past the No. 16 Hokies 65-63 in overtime in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal game played Thursday afternoon at Spectrum Center.
The loss marked the Hokies' second overtime defeat in two weeks to the Seminoles. Tech, the fifth seed in the tournament, fell to 24-8 overall, while Florida State, the No. 4 seed, moved to 26-6 overall and advanced to the semifinals to take on Virginia on Friday night.
Tech appeared to be in great shape to win the game in regulation after Kerry Blackshear Jr. scored with 18.6 seconds left to give the Hokies a 56-53 lead. But coming out of a timeout, Florida State answered when Devin Vassell canned a 3-pointer from the corner with 4 seconds remaining to tie things at 56. Tech brought the ball down after the 3, but didn't get a shot off, and the game went into overtime.
The Hokies took a 63-60 lead in overtime on an Alexander-Walker 3-pointer with 1:43 to go, but they did not score again. Phil Cofer's 3-pointer tied the game at 63 with 1:15 left, and the two teams then traded empty possessions, setting up the final shot.
Florida State rebounded an Alexander-Walker missed jumper with 11 seconds remaining and got it to Mann on the right wing. The senior drove to the basket, but was cut off by Tech's Ahmed Hill before collecting himself and launching an awkward floating jump shot toward the basket. The ball rattled around before dropping through the net with 1.8 seconds to go.
Tech then called two timeouts, setting up a final play. The Hokies got the ball to Alexander-Walker, who launched a long 3-pointer that was off line to end the game.
Alexander-Walker connected on 7 of 16 from the floor, including a 3-pointer, and 6 of 9 from the free-throw line. He also handed out a team-high four assists.
Blackshear added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Hokies, while Hill scored 16.
Vassell led Florida State with 14 points. The Seminoles shot just 38.6 percent from the floor, but connected on 12 3-pointers and corralled 11 offensive rebounds.
Gallery: (3/14/2019) 2019 MEN'S BASKETBALL ACC QUARTERFINAL
QUOTES TO NOTE
Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams
(On his team's effort)
"I don't want it to come across arrogant at all, but if there was some category for effort across the country regardless of sport in college, I think we would win. I know it comes across selfish, and I just said this to our guys, and I don't mean this in the wrong way either, I don't want to win so we can win. I want to win because that means we get to play again, and I've never seen in my career as a coach the connectedness and the effort that these guys play with. I'm just struggling to articulate over and over to these guys the level of respect that I have for them, considering all that they have been through and how they just keep responding. So much of what goes on in the locker room and timeouts, it's them. It's what they're saying. And it's not just our players and it's not just me. It's the organization all pulling, and I think you can see that. We probably get more bench warnings than anybody, and it's not for mal-intent. It's just that's kind of how we do things when it's just us. But the utmost respect for Florida State, for sure, but also for the effort and care and love that our guys play with."
(On not fouling at the end of regulation)
"We discussed all of that. We discussed … did you see how Nickeil played the ball? On the out of bounds play? We didn't want it to go to the strong side, right? That was one thing. We talked about fouling on the inbounds pass, and then we talked about our colors, which signify some defensive things for us. We wanted to black on the weak side. Coaches call that a hammer screen that they set, and we wanted to black that, which is switch it. So, we prevented it from going to the strong side. It went to the weak side, but we didn't black it. We didn't switch it. In hopes that if you switch it, maybe that's denied, and now the ball's got to go towards half court, and now as the ball goes towards half court, now we can load to the ball and maybe buy, eat up 2.5-3 seconds and maybe it's more of a contested shot. Really good player, it's 24 that hit the shot, right? I think he's shooting 44 percent from 3 through 18 conference games. Obviously, that's why they ran the hammer for him. And similar to what Med said, on the baseline drive [on Mann's shot], very good contest, kind of a strange bounce that went in, but both of those shots, to tie it and to win it, they earned them."
GAME NOTES
• The Hokies' four 3-pointers were their second-fewest of the season. They hit three in a loss to Virginia at Carilion Clinic Court on Feb. 18.
• Tech got out-rebounded by 13 – its biggest rebounding deficit this season.
• The Hokies lost for the first time this season when holding an opponent to under 40 percent shooting from the floor. Tech fell to 12-1 in such games.
• Alexander-Walker scored in double figures for the 28th time this season. He has scored at least 20 points in 11 of those games.
• For the 25th time this season, Blackshear reached double figures in scoring.
UP NEXT
Tech now awaits news on an NCAA Tournament bid. The NCAA Selection Show will be televised Sunday at 6 p.m.
