Here’s to Virginia Tech, Troy and Army. College basketball’s national leaders.
Leaders in what? The word that carries a certain aura to it, with the promise that something exciting is about to happen.
Overtime.
Those college basketball games where 40 minutes aren’t enough to find a winner, they can be memorable. Not many boring overtime games. They’re best in March, but not all that common. Texas Tech’s 85-83 win over Arkansas in the Sweet 16 was the only game in last spring’s NCAA tournament to go extra. The record for OT games in the tournament is seven. The last Final Four overtime was Gonzaga beating UCLA with Jalen Suggs’ bomb in 2021, and the last championship overtime was Virginia past Texas Tech in 2019. There have been only eight in 86 title games. The bonanza was in the Elite Eight in 2005 when Illinois, Louisville and Michigan State all needed OT to get to the Final Four.
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This season? Through Monday, there have been 136 overtime games, roughly one out of every 24.5 contests played. With half the season now gone, there are some particularly dramatic moments to honor. Call it Overtime Appreciation.
Step forward to be recognized, Virginia Tech. The Hokies are 9-4 in regulation but 4-0 when the clock strikes zero and the score is tied, and nobody else can say that. The Hokies have pulled it off in various ways — from a basket with five seconds left to force overtime and beat Providence 107-101, to surviving South Carolina 86-83 in a game where neither team could score the final 2:42 of regulation, to coming from 19 points down to catch Elon 82-81, to outlasting Virginia 95-85 in triple overtime in a game with 171 shots, 73 of them from behind the arc.
“They don’t surprise me anymore,” coach Mike Young said after that one.
Take a bow, Troy, for going overtime four times — in the first 10 games. The 103-97 OT win at Kent State to open the season was the Trojans’ first game over 100 points against a Division I opponent in nearly nine years, but they were just warming up, Within 48 hours later in November, they out-dueled San Diego State 108-107 in two overtimes — shaking off the Aztecs extending the game with a half court Hail Mary — and two days later were beaten 107-106 in three overtimes by Southern Cal on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. That was the 35th lead change Troy had seen in two games. Twelve days after that, Troy lost to West Georgia 93-89 in double overtime. Now they’re 11-6.
By the end of the 10th game of the season the Trojans had played 40 extra minutes.
Next, Army. Four of its past nine games have gone OT, three of them victories. Twice the Black Knights have hit 3-pointers just before the regulation buzzer to force overtime.
It’s not always the overtime to remember but the screwball way it came about.
Here’s to Chicago State and Stonehill for defying logic. Chicago State led 71-69 with 0.1 seconds left in regulation and had possession of the ball. Impossible to lose. Well, almost impossible. The Cougars called a timeout they didn’t have, which meant a technical foul and two free throws for Stonehill. Hermann Koffi made them both — meaning overtime, and Stonehill won 85-82.
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Here’s to Kansas, wiping out a 15-point TCU lead in the last five minutes and forcing overtime with Darryn Peterson’s three free throws in the final two seconds. The Jayhawks eventually won 104-100, only the 13th time in Division I history a team had been behind by 15 or more points inside of five minutes and ended up with a victory. Had Kansas not historically rallied, the Jayhawks would have started 0-2 in league play for the first time in 43 years.
Here’s to San Diego State for blowing a 24-point lead against Boise State, saving itself with a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the first overtime and winning 110-107 in the third OT. Most total in points in an Aztecs game since 1971 — but only two points more than their game with Troy six weeks earlier.
Here’s to Northern Iowa and UC Irvine, co-nominees for wildest finish of the year. The two teams combined for seven points in the last eight seconds of overtime. First, Derin Saran scored, was fouled, rebounded his missed free throw and scored again to give UC Irvine a 69-67 lead with 6.8 seconds left. Then, Trey Campbell drove coast to coast, scored, was fouled, and hit a free throw with 0.6 seconds to make Northern Iowa a 70-69 winner.
Here’s to Vanderbilt, whose 16-0 record is composed mostly of elegant offensive shows. But not Dec. 17 against Memphis, when the Commodores slid by 77-70 in overtime. A true grinder. The Tennessee-twosome combined for 40 turnovers and 43 baskets, put up 66 free throws and went 10 for 51 from behind the arc. Vanderbilt shot 32.3 percent from the field, its lowest in a victory since 2014. It was also only the fifth time in 30 seasons the Commodores committed 20 turnovers and won.
Here’s to Providence, early favorite for the Close-Only-Counts-In-Horseshoes-And-Hand-Grenades award. The Friars have played three overtime games and scored 101, 110 and 98 points. They lost all three.
Here’s to Bradley and Indiana State, who have forgotten what it’s like to play only 40 minutes whenever they get together in Terre Haute. Bradley won 108-99 in three overtimes, the third consecutive meeting between the two at Indiana State that needed extra.
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Here’s to Rutgers, 0-4 in the Big Ten when the game lasts only 40 minutes but 2-0 if it goes overtime. Going back to last season, five of the Scarlet Knights’ past 12 games against conference teams have needed extra time, and they’ve won four.
Here’s to Northern Colorado, winning three overtime games for the first time in school history — and doing it by Dec. 6.
Here’s to Cornell and Colgate, fighting through 18 ties, 21 lead changes and two overtimes before Cornell won 95-94 with two free throws with 2.5 seconds left by Cooper Noard, the same guy whose 3-pointer tied the game with five seconds left in regulation.
No overtimes yet for No. 1 Arizona or No. 2 Iowa State. Purdue hasn’t played a game yet that ended closer than seven points in regulation. Duke hasn’t gone overtime in nearly three years and hasn’t won one of them in nearly six.
How ordinary.
