BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) Virginia Tech freshman A.D. Vassallo tipped it into the Bowling Green basket just before the buzzer sounded to give the Falcons a 72-71 win Saturday in the NABC Classic.<br>
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It was Bowling Green's first win over an Athletic Coast Conference opponent since 1967.<br>
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``I got off the floor as quick as I could they weren't going to get us back on,'' said Falcons coach Dan Dakich about any possible dispute on the tip-in.<br>
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Martin Samarco led Bowling Green (1-1) with 21 points.<br>
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The Falcons jumped out to a 10-point lead with 9:30 left in the first half, but the Hokies charged back and trailed by five at 33-28 at the break.<br>
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Tech (1-1) kept fighting back to keep it close in the second half, before a 9-2 run gave the Falcons some breathing room at 66-56 with 5:05 left. Then Tech went on a 15-6 run, then took their first lead since the five-minute mark of the opening half on a Zabian Dowdell layup with 13 seconds left.<br>
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John Floyd put up an off-balance jumper with three seconds left, and in the scramble for the rebound Vassallo tipped it into Bowling Green's basket.<br>
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Coleman Collins had 22 for the Hokies, and Floyd had 17.<br>
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``There's 30 games in a season,'' Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. ``I'm not jumping off any buildings.''<br>
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(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
