CORAL GABLES, Fla. – A wild comeback in the final two minutes – wrapped up by a Darius Maddox 3-pointer – lifted Virginia Tech to a pivotal 71-70 win against Miami (Fla.) on Saturday.
The Hokies (18-11, 10-8) trailed by eight points with 1:42 remaining before closing the game on a 12-3 run, which included seven points from Sean Pedulla and a huge 3-pointer from Maddox.
Down by four with 17 seconds left, Pedulla drove to the basket and finished, putting the ball back in Miami's possession. Hunter Cattoor deflected the 'Canes inbounds pass, which landed in the hands of Maddox. The sophomore stepped back and released a 3-pointer over an incoming Miami defender. Swish. The bucket gave the Hokies a one-point lead with 10 seconds left and Tech's defense stood strong, clinching another important ACC victory.
Virginia Tech dominated the boards all day, allowing them to get second-chance points throughout the contest and stay within striking distance of Miami.
Four Hokies were in double figures, including leading scorer Keve Aluma, who had a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards.
How It Happened
After playing to a 15-15 tie, Virginia Tech went on an 11-2 run that was triggered by a 3-pointer and layup from Maddox. At the final media timeout of the first half (4:15), Tech led 26-17. However, Miami scored 18 points in the final 4:02, including an 11-2 run in the last two minutes.
Miami maintained its lead throughout most of the second half. With 1:42 remaining, the 'Canes led by as many as eight points. The Hokies then closed the contest on the 11-2 run, capitalized by the Maddox 3-pointer, to secure the win.
Game Notes
» Darius Maddox's three with 12 seconds left put Virginia Tech ahead for good.
» Keve Aluma notched his sixth double-double of the season for the Hokies with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
» The Hokies shared the ball well with a season-high 21 assists (72% of made baskets).
» The Virginia Tech bench came alive by scoring 30 points to its scoring output.
» Sean Pedulla and Darius Maddox came off the bench to score 17 and 13 points, respectively.
» Hunter Cattoor registered a career-high six assists.
» Virginia Tech had a 31-22 edge on the boards in the win.Gallery: (2-26-2022) MBB: at Miami
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.