Virginia Tech Basketball: Future Hokies opponent Vermont stuns Yale

In two weeks, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team will host the University of Vermont in a non-conference game at Cassell Coliseum. This is not going to be an easy game for Mike Young’s team as the Catamounts are a mid-major that is capable of beating anyone anywhere at any time.

They have an NCAA Tournament history of pulling off an occasional upset, but it’s hard to envision as a program, they have ever won a game the way they did against Yale Saturday afternoon at home.

Vermont pulls out an improbable win over Yale

Trailing Yale 65-60 with 3.8 seconds left in the game. That should have been ballgame. There is no way that the Bulldogs are going to leave Vermont losing. Think again as more Catamount magic struck.

Vermont’s Aaron Deloney made an uncontested layup with 0.6 seconds left to cut the deficit to 65-62. All the Bulldogs needed to do was inbound the ball and it’s game over. Instead, they were called for an offensive foul before the ball was inbounded for pushing off giving Vermont the ball under the Yale basket. The Catamounts got the ball to T.J. Long and he drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game and the officials called a foul. He sank the free throw for the 66-65 improbable victory.

It is just the latest chapter in a history of wins that Vermont’s men’s basketball team just finds ways to win a game stunningly. One quick look at Virginia Tech’s schedule and you might circle the game at home against the Catamounts as a victory. Not so fast.

On paper, this is a game that the Hokies should win, but as we all know, that doesn’t mean anything. Vermont is never going to shy away from playing a team on the road like Virginia Tech as it is a game where they have nothing to lose. Young and his team need to be on their toes for 40 minutes as anything less could result in a result they don’t like.