College Basketball Madness: Duke Blue Devils Upset by Virginia Tech in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals

In one of the biggest upsets of the college basketball season, Virginia Tech stunned top-seeded Duke 78-75 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Hokies, who entered as the eighth seed, overcame a 15-point second-half deficit to advance to the semifinals and likely punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.\n\nVirginia Tech guard Sean Pedulla was the hero of the night, scoring 28 points including six three-pointers in a performance that will be remembered for years. His clutch three-pointer with 1:47 remaining gave the Hokies the lead they would not relinquish. Duke's highly-touted freshman center Dereck Lively II fouled out with 3:22 left, severely limiting the Blue Devils' interior presence when they needed it most.\n\nThe victory marks Virginia Tech's first win over Duke since 2019 and sends shockwaves through March Madness bracket projections. The Hokies, who were firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble entering the week, have now secured what appears to be an automatic bid with their stunning run in Greensboro.\n\nDuke coach Jon Scheyer was gracious in defeat, praising Virginia Tech's execution and acknowledging his team's struggles with turnovers in crucial moments. The Blue Devils finished with 18 turnovers, many coming in transition situations where the Hokies capitalized with easy baskets.\n\nVirginia Tech will face North Carolina in the semifinals, setting up another potential upset opportunity. The Hokies have not reached the ACC Tournament championship game since 2017, but this magical run has captured the attention of college basketball fans nationwide. For Duke, the loss likely drops them from a potential No. 1 seed to a No. 2 or 3 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, depending on other conference tournament results.