Beekman’s walk-off 3-pointer helps U.Va. survive early test
Hauser, Huff spark comeback after Cavs trail by double digits in first half
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Standing alone behind the 3-point line — an orange Syracuse uniform nowhere within 10 feet of him — Virginia’s Reece Beekman made all the failures of his first five shots Thursday afternoon vanish with one flick of the wrist.
Beekman’s 3-pointer at the buzzer off an urgent feed from Kihei Clark in top seed U.Va.’s 72-69 win against No. 8 seed Syracuse were Beekman’s only points of the game, but he and Cavaliers fans won’t soon forget them. His first successful buzzer-beating shot of his life propelled U.Va. (18-6) into this evening’s semifinal against No. 4 seed Georgia Tech.
“It’s crazy,” said Beekman, a freshman. “That was my first ever ... walk-off game-winner. So, just hitting one of those for my team, it meant a lot.”
Behind Sam Hauser’s 21
points and Jay Huff ’s 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, U.Va. (18-6) overcame Syracuse guard Buddy Boeheim’s 31-point outburst, which featured 5-of-8 shooting on 3s.
“That’s what March is,” Hauser said of Beekman’s decisive shot. “I think once you hit March in tournament time, you never know what can happen.”
Given how Beekman has struggled from long range, making just 8 of 34 shots this season beyond the 3-point line before his final shot and representing U.Va.’s worst perimeter shooter among its regular starters, it’s hard to fault Syracuse for not showing him much respect.
Beekman wasn’t the only U.Va. player Thursday who struggled on 3-pointers.
Until Trey Murphy made 3s on back-to-back possessions to put U.Va. ahead 65-61 with 2:53 left, the Cavaliers had missed 23 of their first 31 shots from 3-point range. Murphy finished with 15 points, while Clark had 10.