Miller's Half-court Buzzer-beater Stuns Hokies Basketball In 77-76 Loss At Smu

Yes, that happened. For nan 3rd clip successful nan past 4 games, Virginia Tech men's hoops mislaid a crippled via a buzzer-beating three-pointer.

It's difficult to triumph a Division I crippled connected nan road. It's levels harder erstwhile that Division I crippled connected nan roadworthy comes against a Quad 1 force classed No. 26 successful nan NET rankings entering nan contest. It gets moreover harder erstwhile that Division I Quad 1 crippled connected nan roadworthy is successful Dallas, Texas, pinch Moody Coliseum sitting astir 1,000 miles distant from Cassell Coliseum.

Virginia Tech (13-5, 2-3 ACC) astir did each 3 against SMU (13-4, 2-2 ACC). But it came up short connected conscionable 1 possession. With 1 2nd remaining, defender Boopie Miller took a look from half-court, guarded by Hokies defender Ben Hammond. Somehow, improbably and inconceivably, nan changeable was thing but net, granting nan Mustangs an improbable triumph and snagging Virginia Tech's hopes of a 2nd Quad 1 triumph correct retired of its fingers.

Thus, nan Hokies dropped their 5th crippled of nan play successful a 77-76 heartbreaker and slipped to 2-3 successful convention play. Had Virginia Tech won, it would person been nan Hokies' 2nd Q1 triumph of nan season, joining a Dec. 31 triple-overtime thriller of a triumph complete then-No. 21 Virginia. Alas, Virginia Tech did not win.

While Virginia Tech restrained SMU defender Boopie Miller from beyond nan arc until nan buzzer-beater — nan elder defender missed each 3 of his looks from heavy against nan Hokies — it couldn't limit him entirely. Miller, who entered nan time averaging 20.6 points (21st successful D-1 and 3rd successful nan ACC) and 7.1 assists (7th-most successful D1, first successful ACC) a night, totaled 24 points connected 6-of-15 shooting against Virginia Tech, adding six assists and 4 rebounds for bully measure. And much importantly, he deed that shot from half tribunal to support SMU an unblemished 11-0 astatine home.

Two different Mustangs scored successful double-figures: centers Jaden Toombs (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Samet Yigitoglu (14 points, 7-for-9 from field), positive defender Jaron Pierre Jr. (13 points, 9 rebounds). That effort did conscionable capable to transportation SMU to its 2nd ACC triumph of nan season.

Despite being outrebounded, 23-16, successful nan opening frame, Virginia Tech recovered connected nan solid and outrebounded nan Mustangs, 20-15, successful nan 2nd half. The Hokies were besides progressive successful nan passing lanes, accumulating 9 takeaways to SMU's five.

Virginia Tech besides outdid nan Mustangs connected nan specialty stats, logging a 1.50 assist-to-turnover complaint to SMU's 1.27 and a 12-4 fastbreak points advantage.

More importantly, nan Hokies restrained SMU from deep, holding nan Mustangs to a 2-for-14 clip from three-point onshore — until Miller's triple from down nan timeline. Virginia Tech itself went 9-for-28 from beyond nan arc, though helping Neoklis Avdalas missed each 7 of his looks from beyond nan arc.

Avdalas wasn't discouraged, however, and ended nan time pinch 10 points and 5 assists connected a 4-for-11 clip from nan field. Five Hokies successful full scored successful double-figures, paced by defender Jailen Bedford's 22 points. Forward Tobi Lawal notched 10 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks successful his 3rd crippled backmost from injury, while guards Ben Hammond and Jaden Schutt logged 11 and 15 points, respectively.

Schutt was erstwhile again pinpoint from beyond nan arc, knocking down 4 of his six looks from deep.That included a three-pointer pinch 29 seconds near to play that lifted Virginia Tech to a four-point crippled that presumably put nan title retired of scope if nan Hokies could support nan Mustangs disconnected nan committee connected nan consequent possession.

And they did, forcing Miller into a miss that led SMU to foul. But past connected nan consequent possession, nan shot knocked disconnected Avdalas connected a baseline inbound, giving SMU nan ball. With 5 seconds near to play, B.J. Edwards scored instantly disconnected nan inbound. Following that play, SMU fouled Hammond.

He missed his only free throw. However, Lawal gobbled down nan rebound and was instantly fouled, giving nan Hokies different chance, this clip pinch 3 seconds to spare.

But again, Lawal missed nan free throw. This time, it was Pierre Jr. that came down pinch nan rebound, and coming retired of nan timeout, Edwards recovered Miller, who trim near and roseate up for nan improbable, heart-pounding triple that saved SMU from a nonaccomplishment — and subsequently trim into nan hearts of Virginia Tech.

That now marks nan Hokies' sixth crippled wherever pinch a infinitesimal to spell successful regulation, nan crippled is wrong a possession. In that stretch, Virginia Tech has gone 3-3. Though nan Hokies person won respective adjacent games, pinch victories complete Virginia and California, it hasn't moved them up overmuch comparative to their ACC foes, pinch nan ACC Tournament starting to loom successful nan background. That tourney kicks disconnected connected March 10 successful nan Spectrum Center successful Charlotte, N.C., pinch nan adjacent 2 months and nan ACC tourney nan determining factors successful whether nan Hokies spell dancing for nan first clip since 2022 this March.

The nonaccomplishment to nan Mustangs, while an attainable one, isn't a nett antagonistic for Virginia Tech's tourney hopes. The Hokies entered a Thursday tilt wherever they were near-double-digit underdogs, per ESPN, and astir came retired pinch nan victory, prevention for allowing that aforementioned half-court buzzer beater. It's not a backbreaker of a nonaccomplishment — SMU classed No. 26 successful nan NET rankings coming into coming — but it is nan emotion of a missed opportunity, pinch a chance to hit a potent Quad 1 squad correct connected their location floor.

Virginia Tech's adjacent opportunity to rebound comes against Notre Dame connected Saturday, Jan. 17 astatine 12 p.m. ET. The crippled will beryllium carried connected nan ACC Network arsenic nan Hokies look to reconstruct their convention grounds to an moreover .500.

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