A sputtering Virginia team was running on fumes by the time it entered the final second of its game against Florida State. But the Hoos appeared to have escaped as FSU prepared to inbound the ball with a single tick remaining on the clock. 

As far as ACC games go this season, Wednesday night’s Virginia-Duke matchup was epic. The final scheduled meeting between Mike Krzyzewski and Tony Bennett was as much a boxing match as it was a chess match.

Francisco Caffaro sat on the bench, towel covering his head, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. His face was hidden by the towel and the big hands covering his face, but it was clear that tears were seeping from his eyes. Teammates tried to console him, but Caffaro kept his head down.

About two weeks ago, Virginia played Miami and Duke back-to-back. The Hoos won both games and got themselves back into the NCAA Tournament conversation. Now, they’re halfway through another two-game series against the Hurricanes and the Blue Devils. They won the first leg, using a second-half rally to beat Miami 74-71. A win over Duke would be tantamount to climbing through the bubble and onto the (projected) bracket.

Virginia only made 1 of its 8 first-half three-point attempts. So when Kihei Clark initiated his three-point shooting motion a minute into the second half, most Virginia fans expected the shot to miss.

Virginia’s win over Miami two weeks ago got the Hoos back on the bubble. It was followed by a monumental road win over Duke and a relatively comfortable home win against Georgia Tech.

It may have been Valentine’s Day, but no love was lost between Virginia and Virginia Tech. The waves of Hokies crammed into Cassell Coliseum wasted no time in impressing upon the visiting Hoos the depth of their hatred. Chants of “Kihei sucks” rained down from the opening tip like so many piercing arrows; those chants soon morphed into calls of “airball” that needled the fourth-year guard every time he touched the ball.

Things looked bleak just a few weeks ago for both Virginia-based ACC teams. A chasm appeared, Virginia and Virginia Tech on one side and the NCAA Tournament bubble on the other.  One false step, and both teams would have slipped into that chasm and to the deaths of their postseason hopes. But Hoos and Hokies alike have managed to negotiate the divide. Each team is riding a long win streak: four games for Virginia, five for Virginia Tech.

There was a sense that Virginia’s matchup with Georgia Tech was a potential trap game. Virginia was just five days removed from an exhilarating road victory over seventh-ranked Duke, and was coming home to play floundering Georgia Tech. That fear was dispelled quickly. Virginia surged to a 22-6 lead, executing beautifully on offense and stifling Georgia Tech on defense.