Collegiate Times

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team was shocked Sunday afternoon, as the No. 1 seed Hokies fell to No. 4 Wichita State in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.

Tech weathered a myriad of injuries, but ultimately came up short in 79-76 in overtime. Malcolm Delaney, Jeff Allen, and Terrell Bell, who came into Sunday’s matchup with a chance to become the winningest seniors in the program’s history, ended their college careers with heartbreak.

“I’m just really proud of our guys. The game was kind of a microcosm of their season,” said Seth Greenberg, head coach.

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The Shockers applied pressure early with a full-court press, however it was the Tech’s zone defense that proved to be more successful. Wichita State’s leading scorer, J.T. Durley, was quiet in the first half, with just three points and one rebound. Additionally, the Hokies forced nine turnovers and tallied six steals in the first half, all while remaining in a 2-3 zone.

The Hokies and Shockers traded baskets for much of the first half, with Delaney lighting it up from beyond the arc to keep Tech in the game. The first half ended with Tech on top, 32-30.

The Hokies came out of the locker room sloppy, committing two early turnovers and handing the lead back over to the Shockers. However, a technical foul by Ragland gave Tech the spark it needed, as Delaney drained both free throws and sunk a floater in the paint to bring the Hokies back within two.

With the lack of depth the Hokies have faced all year and forward Victor Davila’s shoulder injury, it was imperative that Tech stay out of foul trouble against the Shockers. Nonetheless, with just over six minutes left to play, Allen fouled out, leaving the game with 10 points and seven rebounds. Shortly after, Davila picked up his fourth foul (he also could barely lift his right arm), forcing Greenberg to turn to fan-favorite Paul Debnam.

“Victor Davila’s courage today was remarkable, that’s the only way to describe it,” Greenberg said. “He couldn’t lift his arm above his shoulder for the last three days and yet he wanted to play.”

“We show that we can play with anybody with any line-up. Paul came in and gave one of the best efforts I’ve seen,” Delaney said. “We just played our hearts out.”

With a minute left in regulation, Tech’s Manny Atkins and Wichita State’s Durley swapped three-pointers, and Bell missed his three-point attempt with 22 seconds left to give the Shockers the last possession. The Shockers came up short, sending the game into overtime.

With just eleven seconds remaining and down by two, Green stole the ball, feeding it to Bell for the lay-up to tie the game. However, the Hokies defense fell apart at the end, as Ragland took it to the hoop to give the Shockers a two-point lead with two seconds left.

“I should have stayed in front of the ball,” Green said. “Hands down I should have stayed in front of the ball and we wouldn’t have had a problem.”

The Hokies looked to Delaney for the last shot, yet the officials determined he stepped out of bounds before his half-court shot attempt, thanks to the tough defensive play of junior guard Toure’ Murry. The play was almost identical to Butler’s Shelvin Mack foul against Pittsburgh’s Gilbert Brown with 1.4 seconds remaining in the two teams NCAA Tournament third round matchup.

“He stuck his leg out and I went out of bounds, it could have been contact, it couldn’t have been,” Delaney said. “I thought I had a clear lane until he stuck his leg out.”

Murry led the Shockers with 15 points and seven rebounds. The Hokies had three players in double digits, with Delaney notching 30 points to end his career at Cassell.

Despite the adversity the Hokies have faced this season, Greenberg continues to stand behind this team.

“We lost four (guys) and all they did was win nine games in the ACC, get to the semifinals (in the ACC Tournament) and win 22 games,” Greenberg said. “It was a grind, but it was grind that was worth the ride.”

A version of this article appeared in the Mar 22 issue of the Collegiate Times.