Hokies fall to Wisconsin on last-second shot

For the second time this season, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team lost on a last-second shot, as Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes hit a short jumper with less than a second remaining to lift the Badgers past the Hokies 74-72 in a non-conference game played as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Monday night at Cassell Coliseum.

With the loss, the Hokies – who lost in overtime to Xavier on a last-second halfcourt heave on Nov. 21st – fell to 4-3 overall on the season. Wisconsin, ranked No. 22 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll, moved to 6-1 on the year.

The Hokies trailed by nine, 67-58, after Wisconsin’s Marcus Landry drained his fourth 3-point attempt of the game with 1:13 remaining. But behind the unconscious shooting of A.D. Vassallo, the Hokies scrambled back.

Vassallo cut Wisconsin’s lead to 70-69 by hitting a 3-pointer with 17.9 seconds to go. Jason Bohannon’s two free throws with 11.6 seconds remaining gave the Badgers a 72-69 lead, but Vassallo struck again, hitting a 3-pointer with seven ticks left to tie the game at 72 – the Hokies’ first tie since the 13:24 mark of the first half.