Virginia Tech loses to Florida after forcing overtime with a late three-pointer
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The 10th-seeded Virginia Tech men’s basketball team lost in overtime to No. 7 seed Florida, 75-70, to open the NCAA tournament’s first round Friday afternoon in a West Region thriller at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Hokies had gotten within 71-70 on Hunter Cattoor’s dunk with 48 seconds to play, but Tre Mann sealed the outcome for Florida with a three-pointer with 22.9 seconds to play to send the Gators to Sunday’s second round against the winner of Ohio State and Oral Roberts.
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Nahiem Alleyne led the Hokies with 28 points, including the final 12 points of the second half. His three-pointer from the right side with 1.7 seconds left in regulation tied the score at 66. Florida was unable to attempt a shot after the ensuing inbounds, forcing the extra session.
Colin Castleton led Florida with 19 points and 14 rebounds. His three-point play with 3:13 left in overtime put the Gators ahead to stay, 69-66.
Virginia Tech trailed for the first time in the second half when Castleton made two free throws to put the Gators in front, 53-52, with 5:14 to play. Florida added one of two foul shots from Osayi Osifo, and Scottie Lewis sank a jumper from just inside the three-point line for a 56-52 lead with 4:06 to go.
Florida managed to take the lead with starting guard Tyree Appleby in the locker room being treated for a blow to the head from an inadvertent elbow by Virginia Tech’s Keve Aluma with 12:58 left in regulation.
The early stages of the second half featured Virginia Tech holding off several attempts from the Gators to regain the lead for the first time since shortly after tip-off. Florida got within 35-34 before the Hokies scored seven of the next nine points.
Again the Gators rallied, this time moving within 50-49 with 7:43 to go on Lewis’s three-pointer, but Virginia Tech answered with Tyrece Radford’s contested midrange jumper as the shot clock moved into the single digits.
The Hokies were making their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament berth but first under Coach Mike Young, this season’s ACC coach of the year who guided Wofford to five appearances, including a victory over Seton Hall, 84-78, in 2019, his final season with the Terriers.
Young’s coaching job this season included keeping his players engaged despite multiple pauses because of virus-related complications. The first included 17 days between games and three cancellations, including both meetings with Florida State.
A second hiatus scrapped the Hokies’ final two regular season games, leaving Virginia Tech to wait 12 days before playing in the ACC tournament quarterfinals March 11 in Greensboro, N.C., where they faded in the second half against North Carolina in an 81-73 loss.
In a chaotic season in which the NCAA tournament is being conducted entirely in and around Indianapolis, Virginia Tech and Florida played in the first NCAA tournament game at Hinkle Fieldhouse since 1940, when Indiana won the East Region and eventually the national championship.
The unfamiliar surroundings did nothing to bother Cattoor in the first half after the three-point specialist entered when starting point guard Wabissa Bede went to the bench with his second personal foul.
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Cattoor made his first three three-point attempts, two of which came in front of the Gators bench, to help stake Virginia Tech to a 10-point lead, 21-11, with 9:01 remaining in the first half.
Each of the sophomore guard’s three-pointers were of the catch-and-shoot variety, allowing Cattoor to set his feet and square his shoulders after crisp ball movement around the perimeter that kept defenders on the move and a step slow to close out.
The double-digit cushion did not last, however, with the Gators adjusting to Virginia Tech’s smothering defense at the three-point line by getting to the painted area for short jumpers and layups. The strategy trimmed the deficit to two in the closing minutes until Justyn Mutts made back-to-back layups for a 33-27 halftime lead.