Roanoke Times game story

[Mr. Neutral]

Halfcourt buzzer-beater by Xavier crushes Hokies
Posted to: Men's College Basketball Sports

Roanoke Times
© November 22, 2008

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

Xavier handed the Virginia Tech men's basketball team a stunning defeat Friday on a long-distance buzzer-beater.

Dante Jackson banked in a shot from halfcourt to give the Minutemen a 63-62 overtime win in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic semifinals.

"They are a very good team and we were in a position to win," Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said. "You have to give them credit for making the last play."

Jeff Allen had scored on a tip-in with three seconds left in overtime to give Tech (3-1) a 62-60 lead.

Jackson had been 0 of 8 from the field until launching the winning shot.

"That was two teams that drew a line in the sand and competed at a very high level," Greenberg said. "Jeff made the great play to get the putback and they had the lapse defensively. Then we had a lapse where we didn't get back on defense."

Tech will face Seton Hall in the third-place game at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Xavier (4-0) returned three starters from a team that reached the Elite Eight last season.

"My heart goes out to Virginia Tech," Xavier coach Sean Miller said. "They are an excellent team."

Tech led 39-29 with 15:07 left in regulation. The lead was 52-45 after Malcolm Delaney sank a 3-pointer with

5:13 left, but the Hokies never scored again in regulation.

Tech turned the ball over three times during a 7-0 Xavier run, and Kenny Frease made two free throws to tie the score at 52 with 2:25 left.

Neither team scored again in regulation.

In the final 2:25 of regulation, A.D. Vassallo missed a 3-point try and Delaney missed a 3-point try and two free throw tries and committed a turnover.

The missed free throws by Delaney would have given Tech the lead with 46 seconds left in regulation.

"We made some mistakes and they made some mistakes, but in the end, I guess we made the wrong mistakes," said Allen, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds.

[Wisexuowl]

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