Alabama’s men’s basketball team (19-15) will face Virginia Tech (21-11) in the NCAA Tournament’s first round in Pittsburgh. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 8:20 p.M. CT on TNT. The Crimson Tide is a No. At the same time as the Hokies, nine seeds are a No—eight seed in the huge dance. The game can be accompanied here, as well as with the following hyperlinks LISTEN. Also, keep up with live scoring updates within the area underneath via refreshing the page and be part of the dialogue at the BamaOnLine Round Table via CLICKING HERE.

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FIRST HALF

— Donta Hall (concussion) will play in opposition to Virginia Tech, in step with Alabama.

— Alabama’s starting five vs. Virginia Tech: Collin Sexton, Dazon Ingram, Herbert Jones, Braxton Key, and Donta Hall.

— Kerry Blackshear Jr. Picks up his first foul. He’s the most effective player with the intention to see big mins for Virginia Tech it is over 6-foot-6.

— Va. Tech 15, Alabama 12 (14:46, 1H). Both teams have combined to miss two photographs. The Hokies have hit six in a row.

— John Petty hits his first area intention try. It’s a three to take the lead.

— Collin Sexton alternatives up brief fouls and could head to the bench. Va. Tech 17, Alabama 16 (12:22, 1H)

— Va. Tech 22, Alabama 20 (10:43, 1H). The Tide has hit 3 area dreams in a row, and six of the nine players who have seen the court docket have scored.

— Va. Tech 29, Alabama 27 (7:20, 1H). Hokies taking pictures 73% (11-15) from the sphere. Tide = 67% (10-15).

— Alabama 36, Va. Tech 34 (three:14, 1H). The Tide retakes the lead way to a short 7-zero run during the last 1:26. John Petty is two-for-2 from three.

Halftime: Va. Tech 43, Alabama 41

— John Petty drains a three simply earlier than the buzzer — his third of the 1H.

SECOND HALF

— Alabama begins the second one 1/2 with Sexton, Ingram, Jones, Key, and Hall at the ground.

— Dazon Ingram choices up his third foul at the 17:08 mark. Four seconds later, Donta Hall earns his 2nd foul. Hokies make one FT.

— Va. Tech 46, Alabama 45 (15:59 2H). The sloppy start to the second 1/2 for each squad. UA is capturing 40% (2-5). Hokies = 20% (1-5).

— That was Braxton Key’s fourth foul. He and Ingram both have four and are on the Alabama bench.

— Alabama 57, Va. Tech 57 (11:12, 2H). This one is tied for the 7th time. John Petty leads the Tide with 17 factors. Collin Sexton has nine.

— Alabama 65, Va. Tech 64 (7:30, 2H). The Tide has hit 3 FGs in a row. The Hokies have hit 4 instantly.

— Alabama 68, Va. Tech 64 (6:43, 2H). Pair of Sexton FTs push the Tide’s result in 4, and Hokies head coach Buzz Williams calls a timeout.

— VT’s Kerry Blackshear Jr. Fouls out of the game on the 5:28 mark.

— Alabama 70, Va. Tech 66 (4:02, 2H). A Justin Robinson jumper snaps a 7-zero run for the Crimson Tide. Timeout, Buzz Williams.

— Alabama 70, Va. Tech 68 (3:13, 2H). Avery Johnson wants a timeout. He has left. VT has one to head.

— Alabama 78, Va. Tech 74 (59.6, 2H). The Tide could have the basketball out of the timeout. Both groups have one timeout closing.

Final: Alabama 86, Virginia Tech 83

— The Crimson Tide advances to the Round of 32 and could face No. 1 seed Villanova on Saturday.

The first two rounds of the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament produced simply four real upsets in 48 games. Do no longer tell Duke, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, or Washington State that it was an amazing match. They have been all removed and humbled by way of lesser lights with Hollywood’s largest klieg lighting focused on them.

Perhaps the hardest tablet to swallow belonged to #6 seeded Duke, which fell to #11 Virginia Commonwealth, 79-seventy seven. Eric Maynor of Virginia Commonwealth turned into the fine player at the floor and proved it with a 15-foot jumper with 1.8 seconds left to seal the victory. He finished the nighttime with 22 factors, 6 inside the very last 1:24. Maynor’s just a sophomore.

The sport turned into near as VC never led through more than 2 factors. They overcame a 13-factor first-half deficit and also trailed by using eleven within the 2d half of. Finally, Virginia Commonwealth knocked off George Mason, the match’s surprise team remaining 12 months, to win the Colonial Athletic Association name 65-59 and qualify for the event. Maynor sealed that victory properly by using scoring nine of his 20 points in the very last mins.

Duke misplaced a primary-round game for the first time in 1996, ending the Blue Devils string of Sweet sixteen appearances at 9. Only North Carolina’s streak of thirteen direct appearances is better. Duke’s legendary teach Mike Krzyzewski had most effective two upperclassmen this year; his crew changed into the maximum inexperienced in his 27 years at Duke, one of the kingdom’s powerhouse applications.

Notre Dame, a #6 seed, had high hopes coming into this year’s match, its first look because 2003, as the Irish won the maximum video games-24-on account that it’s 1974 season; however, #11 seed Winthrop had larger goals as it dropped the Irish 74-64 with a 37-10 run that bridged the first and 2nd 1/2.

Winthrop got here into the match with a 29-4 report, with its only losses coming from North Carolina, Wisconsin (beyond regular time), Maryland, and Texas A&M. All groups that made the event with a blended 117-27 report. Winthrop becomes surely small; however, no slouch. Winthrop was removed using Oregon 75-61 in Round 2.

Winthrop may well be a trivia question. However, few who observe NCAA basketball would realize that the little faculty from Rock Hill (SC) is a part of the Big South Conference, twhichis only big to titsteams  Part of the greatness of the NCAA layout is that every group that wins its conference event gets an automatic bid to take part in the March Madness that forces teams to advance by winning or see their season cease all at once.

Washington State, which was picked to hover at the bottom of the Pac 10 in preseason polls, rose below new, first-yr head teach Tony Bennett to grow to be one of the country’s large surprises. The #3 seeded Cougars prepared a 26-8 report and finished as runner-up in the Pac 10 season standings. However, after knocking off #14 Oral Roberts 70-54 in Round 1 Washington State located it couldn’t hit three open shots inside the very last moments of its recreation with #6 Vanderbilt and lost 78-74 in a double-additional time heartbreaker.