Connor Dubsky drained a clutch three-pointer, a catch-and-shoot beauty off a Tylon Chatman kick-out, and just like that, UNC Asheville tied the game at 74-74 with a mere 2.8 seconds left on the clock. Overtime, right? You’d think. But then, in one of the most head-scratching plays you’ll ever see, Bulldogs sophomore Myles Mayfield apparently forgot the score. As Georgia Tech’s Victor Valdes grabbed the inbounds pass, Mayfield fouled him instantly, sending Valdes to the charity stripe with only 1.6 seconds remaining.
That Last-Second Heartbreak, For Real
You can just imagine the scene. Dubsky had his hands clasped to his head in pure disbelief, probably trying to figure out what just happened. UNC Asheville coach Mike Morrell? He was glaring from the sideline, looking like he’d seen a ghost. Valdes stepped up, sank one of two free throws, and that was it. Just like that, Georgia Tech, who had been down, walked away with an inexplicable 76-75 victory. Mayfield, who led all scorers for UNC Asheville with 21 points, is probably going to remember this game for one thing and one thing only.
A Yellow Jacket Comeback for the Books
This wasn’t just a fluke win, though. Georgia Tech, now sitting pretty at 4-0 under new head coach Scott Cross, pulled off a serious comeback. They were trailing 32-25 at halftime, after being down by ten points thanks to a Khayri Dunn three-pointer for UNC Asheville. The Bulldogs even extended that lead to 11 points early in the second half. But the Yellow Jackets kept fighting. They went on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 38-34, then later, despite UNC Asheville stretching their lead back to 56-42 after another Dunn three, GT dropped a massive 23-7 run over seven minutes to actually take a one-point lead. It was a back-and-forth battle down the stretch. After another Dunn three, GT scored five straight to go up 70-66. Dubsky hit a three to get UNC Asheville to within one, then both teams traded free throws, and Courtland Muldrew and Tylis Jordan put GT ahead by three right before Dubsky’s game-tying shot. What a ride!
Unsung Heroes and a Coach on Fire
Despite the devastating end, let’s not forget some of the players who absolutely balled out for UNC Asheville. Myles Mayfield, despite the foul, was still the game’s top scorer with a huge 21 points. Khayri Dunn and Connor Dubsky each chipped in 11 points, both hitting three 3-pointers apiece, showing they could hang in the crunch. Daniel Thomas grabbed 8 boards, too, putting in work on the glass. On the Georgia Tech side, Tylis Jordan dropped 17 points, making crucial plays throughout their comeback. Coach Scott Cross is having a dream start, racking up his first four wins at home in McCamish Pavilion. This dude, who replaced Damon Stoudamire, is no stranger to winning, coming from Troy where he won two Sun Belt regular-season and conference titles, plus NCAA tournament bids. Talk about hitting the ground running for the Yellow Jackets, making history as only the third GT coach since 1946-47 to start 4-0.
So, yeah, UNC Asheville (now 2-3) will be replaying that final 1.6 seconds for a long, long time. It was a gut-wrenching way to lose a game they had fought tooth and nail to keep alive. For Georgia Tech (4-0), it’s an incredible, if slightly bizarre, start to the Scott Cross era, proving they’ve got the fight to come back no matter how deep the hole. You just know they’ll be riding high after pulling off a win like that. What a wild night of college hoops!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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