Hokies Top Miami, Set Up Familiar Scene

Virginia Tech 65, Miami 47

ATLANTA, March 12 -- One year ago, Virginia Tech sat in a locker room in Charlotte having just beaten Miami in the ACC tournament quarterfinals and awaiting a game against No. 1 North Carolina. A win over the Tar Heels almost certainly would have put the Hokies into the NCAA tournament.

On Thursday, the eighth-seeded Hokies gathered in a locker room in the Georgia Dome minutes after beating ninth-seeded Miami, 65-47, in the first round of the ACC tournament. Virginia Tech (18-13) plays No. 1 North Carolina on Friday. A win over the Tar Heels will likely result in an NCAA tournament at-large bid.

"Deja vu," Coach Seth Greenberg told his team after the game, according to guard Dorenzo Hudson. "You just got to make it a different ending this time."

Both the Hokies and Hurricanes entered Thursday's game aware that the winner would maintain NCAA tournament aspirations, while the loser would likely be subjected to a Selection Sunday without suspense.

"I think we needed this game to play in the NCAA tournament," Miami Coach Frank Haith said.

But the Hokies are the team left standing in part because they played without the pressure they placed on themselves over the last three games of the regular season, all losses. Because Thursday was seen as the final chance to improve their résumé, the Hokies were able to focus exclusively on the Hurricanes.

Virginia Tech's main goal heading into the game was to stop Jack McClinton, Miami's standout guard. Guard Malcolm Delaney opened the game defending McClinton because he has familiarity with McClinton, a childhood friend from Baltimore. Hudson -- who is two inches taller than Delaney -- soon took over the duties. McClinton scored nine points and committed seven turnovers, and Delaney sensed that McClinton became frustrated by the defense.

"We contested every shot, got through every screen," Delaney said. "I think he's not used to having a lot of people defending him."

Without McClinton's production, the Hurricanes' offense was stagnant. Greenberg said that in the second half, his team was as committed to defense as at any point this season. Miami's 47 points were the fewest allowed by Virginia Tech against an ACC opponent since the Hokies joined the league in 2004-05.

With Miami (18-12) stifled, Virginia Tech used a 14-0 second-half run to extend a six-point lead to 20. Forward J.T. Thompson scored six of his 12 points during the run. Thompson came off the bench and made all five of his field goal attempts, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked a shot and provided defense and energy that Greenberg categorized as "special."

"As long as J.T. plays like he did today, we're a lot better," Delaney said. "We need that spark off the bench. That's the type of player J.T. is. He gets those dunks. He's the energy guy."

Thompson's impassioned dunk with 7 minutes 16 seconds remaining gave the Hokies a 57-37 lead and was the type of play that made Greenberg call him "the Energizer bunny" after the game.

Greenberg turned to the team's assistant strength and conditioning coach when the margin hit 20 points and asked, "What do you think?" Greenberg had been unfamiliar with big margins -- Virginia Tech's previous seven ACC wins were by single digits -- and it allowed him to remove his regulars from the lineup late in the game. The Hokies, who trailed at halftime of their previous seven games, led the entire game against Miami.

After Thursday's win, Greenberg reminded his players about how they were in the same situation a year ago. Standing in the way of an NCAA tournament berth was North Carolina, then -- and now -- the top-ranked team in the nation.

"We play the best team in the country and have the opportunity to do something special," Greenberg said. "It's the same story, but hopefully with a different ending."

-- GEORGIA TECH 86, CLEMSON 81: Lewis Clinch set a career high with 32 points to help the last-place Yellow Jackets pull the upset. Clinch made five three-pointers to carry the Yellow Jackets (12-18), who went 2-14 in the ACC during the regular season, including a pair of losses to the Tigers.

Clemson (23-8), runner-up a year ago, is without a title in 56 ACC tournaments.

Gani Lawal added 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets, who advanced to meet No. 22 Florida State in the quarterfinals Friday.

Trevor Booker paced Clemson with 17 points. Five other Tigers were in double figures, but it wasn't enough to handle the inside-outside attack of Lawal and Clinch.

On its last visit to Atlanta, Clemson overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Yellow Jackets, 81-73. But, playing about two miles from the Georgia Tech campus, the home team finally got the best of the Tigers.

After the teams played to a 39-39 halftime tie, Clinch got the Yellow Jackets rolling with a three-pointer. When Zachery Peacock followed with a dunk, Clemson quickly called a timeout in hopes of stemming the momentum.

But Clinch kept hitting shots, and Georgia Tech kept stretching its lead. The senior hit another three-pointer with 3:50 left to give the Yellow Jackets their biggest lead, 75-62.