Cassell Comes Alive Behind 64-63 Virginia Tech Upset of Duke

The Hokies earned a marquee win over the Blue Devils on Big Monday.

[Mark Umansky]

Loud. Unhinged. Deafening.

All words I've heard to describe Cassell Coliseum.

Tonight though, it shook. The Hokies knocked off No. 5 Duke, 64-63 and it registered on the local seismograph.

"I don't know why, there was something in my spirit when they called their second timeout," noted Buzz Williams. "Normally from where I stand, [the far] balcony is empty. I looked up there as I was drinking the water and was I like 'that's full.' I never look over my right shoulder. Full. I looked over [my left shoulder]. Full."

Tonight, 9,275 fans watched the Hokies punch their ticket to the Big Dance. Give or take a few, 9,100 of them were Hokie faithful.

"In the three times we've played Duke since I've been here in Blacksburg, with each passing game, there's less and less of a percentage of Duke fans in attendance," said Williams. "Which speaks to the fact that there has been a groundswell of support of our group and how we're trying to do it."

There's no debating it. On a night where Virginia Tech struggled all night to get over the proverbial hump (Tech led for a total of 1:00), the Hokie faithful spurred them on.

"It's just amazing," said Chris Clarke. "People don't understand how loud it gets in Cassell. I think it's one of the loudest gyms in the nation."

"I try to stay engaged in the game. Try not to show emotion. Try to stay locked in. At times, I've come out of character because the crowd is so hyped," added Justin Bibbs.

"That was probably one of the best crowds we've had since I've been here," noted Kerry Blackshear Jr. "Their energy when we go on a run, we love it."

Everybody in the stands knew the stakes. Tech was staring an 0-3 finish to the regular season dead in the eyes. An uneven end to a season that otherwise had turned into a solid campaign. And a shaky Hokies' finish never mixes well with the selection committee.

You could feel it. The anxious energy as Duke built a 15-point lead with 9 minutes remaining in the first half. The murmurs grew louder and the nervous shifting increased.

With Justin Robinson nursing a bum ankle, the Hokies leaned on true-freshman Nickeil Alexander-Walker. A personal 7-0 run by the youngster brought the crowd to its feet. Add in Justin Bibbs' quick four points, and all of a sudden Tech cut the deficit to 25-29. Cassell had a game again.

But still, no Hokies lead. Halftime came, Duke up 33-27, and the Blue Devils methodically pulled away to begin the second frame. A three-point lead became nine. But again, the crowd persisted. They stood. They yelled. They manufactured a Hokie run. One-point game.

But there went the Blue Devils again. With a combination of size inside and three-point shooting outside, Duke opened up yet another nine-point lead, 58-49, this time with 7:02 left. Duke turned the dial in Cassell from bumpin' to static. Buzzketball dug themselves too big a hole in the first half, and Duke was just too good. It happened again.

Game over, right?

Wrong.

In the paint, at the line, and from beyond the arc Tech scrapped its way back within four, 56-60. Then fresh out of a Duke timeout with only 3:20 remaining, Williams waved his arms imploring the crowd to get louder. They obliged. A pair of free throws from Robinson. A dunk by Clarke, then a subsequent steal and layup. Tech had a new hope.

But still, the lead was out of reach. Trailing by one with 23.4 on the clock, Williams turned to his team and said one thing.

"We're going to win the game. Just be patient."

Patience paid off. Bibbs passed up a jumper. Alexander-Walker pumpfaked instead of shooting a contested three. Clarke crashed the boards on the back-side. Easy layup.

And then, the loudest roar I've ever heard in Cassell Coliseum. The sound of "Virginia Tech" in ink on a bracket.

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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the numbers don’t lie and they spell disaster

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"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken" - Colonel Sanders via Ricky Bobby

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Tweedy can run like a dadgum antelope or whatever. I like to use scalded dog. Do antelopes lumber? Cheetah, OK. He runs like a cheetah. He's fast. - Bud Foster

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"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken" - Colonel Sanders via Ricky Bobby

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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The Orange and Maroon you see, that's fighting on to victory.

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'Its easy to grin, when your ship comes in, and you've got the stock market beat,
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Born in Charlottesville, Reborn in Blacksburg

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The Orange and Maroon you see, that's fighting on to victory.

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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Maroon helmet with orange gobbler logo is the best helmet.....change my mind.

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Never Forget #1 Overall Seed UVA 54, #64 UMBC 74

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #YNWA

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Now finish up them taters; I'm gonna go fondle my sweaters.

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Outside it's night time, but inside it's LeDay

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Now finish up them taters; I'm gonna go fondle my sweaters.

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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Now finish up them taters; I'm gonna go fondle my sweaters.

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"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken" - Colonel Sanders via Ricky Bobby

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Born in Charlottesville, Reborn in Blacksburg

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I love a good nap. Sometimes that's all that's getting me out of bed in the morning.

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Now finish up them taters; I'm gonna go fondle my sweaters.

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I love a good nap. Sometimes that's all that's getting me out of bed in the morning.

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head scout BSP scouting specializing in north florida/ southern GA highschool football scouting

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Old sigline: I've been cutting back on the drinking.

New Sigline: lol it's football season.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #YNWA

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"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken" - Colonel Sanders via Ricky Bobby

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This is my school
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"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

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Never Forget #1 Overall Seed UVA 54, #64 UMBC 74

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Maroon helmet with orange gobbler logo is the best helmet.....change my mind.

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Pain is Temporary, Chicks Dig Scars
Glory is Forever, Let's Go Hokies!!

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Maroon helmet with orange gobbler logo is the best helmet.....change my mind.

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This is my school
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Maroon helmet with orange gobbler logo is the best helmet.....change my mind.

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Now finish up them taters; I'm gonna go fondle my sweaters.

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"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

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"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

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Pain is Temporary, Chicks Dig Scars
Glory is Forever, Let's Go Hokies!!

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This is my school
This is home

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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Old sigline: I've been cutting back on the drinking.

New Sigline: lol it's football season.

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #YNWA

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This is my school
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #YNWA

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This is my school
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Another white bronco? The first one didn't go too far.

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the numbers don’t lie and they spell disaster

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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This is my school
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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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Pain is Temporary, Chicks Dig Scars
Glory is Forever, Let's Go Hokies!!

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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"Why gobble gobble chumps asks such good questions, I will never know." - TheFifthFuller

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This is my school
This is home

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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This is my school
This is home

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Old sigline: I've been cutting back on the drinking.

New Sigline: lol it's football season.

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"What kind of person would throw away a perfectly good dog?"

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Maroon helmet with orange gobbler logo is the best helmet.....change my mind.

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Maroon helmet with orange gobbler logo is the best helmet.....change my mind.

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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Old sigline: I've been cutting back on the drinking.

New Sigline: lol it's football season.