Conference tournament week has more than delivered already, with a number of close games, big comebacks, and buzzer-beaters with everything on the line. With major conference tournaments beginning, the drama was only just getting started and the ACC Tournament delivered in its second round action on Wednesday.
After Boston College stunned Wake Forest to possibly knock the Demon Deacons out of the NCAA Tournament (Wake entered the day as part of Joe Lunardi’s Last Four In), Clemson nearly produced another upset in Brooklyn against Virginia Tech. The Hokies held an 11-point lead with seven minutes to play, but scored just seven points from that point on, allowing the Tigers to steadily reel them in and force overtime at 66-66.
Once again, Virginia Tech took an early lead in overtime, but saw Clemson claw their way back into the lead with 30 seconds to play. Some free throw woes on both sides kept things to a two-point game with seven seconds on the clock as the Hokies brought the ball up the floor and Darius Maddox made a nylon delivery at the buzzer to keep Virginia Tech’s ACC Tournament dreams alive.
VIRGINIA TECH WINS IT AT THE BUZZER!!! @HokiesMBB | #ACCMBB pic.twitter.com/xezb7nQZo8
— ACC Men’s Basketball (@accmbb) March 10, 2022
The Hokies needed a lot of help and a deep ACC Tournament run to have any semblance of a shot at the NCAA Tournament, and while it’s still a long shot that they make it to the Big Dance, they still have a pulse thanks to Maddox’s heroics at the buzzer.