Dein erstes Forum » field goal blocked.Sometimes big play

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams consistently cites Ahmed Hill as the toughest player in his program.So it came as no surprise to him that Hill made the big plays in the final minute of a close non-conference game.Ive been to where Med grew up, Williams said. Hell be fine in the toughest situation you can create.Hill scored 20 points to lead the Hokies to an 80-75 victory over Ole Miss on Sunday.Hill hit 5 of 10 from the floor, including 3 of 6 from beyond the 3-point arc for Virginia Tech (8-1), which won its fourth straight game. Zach LeDay added 15 points.Sebastian Saiz led the Rebels (6-3) with 21 points.Ole Miss trailed the entire second half, including 68-54 with a little more than five minutes left to play, but the Rebels scored on six straight possessions. They hit three 3-pointers in that span to cut the lead to 71-70 on a basket by Cullen Neal with 1:224 remaining.But the Hokies went to Hill, and he responded, scoring six points in the final minute. He drained a jumper with 59 seconds left to push the lead to 73-70. He also hit four free throws in the final 16.6 seconds to help the Hokies hold on.Were trying to work on finishing better, Hill said. Last year, we didnt finish as well, and Buzz is trying to teach us how to finish better in the second half. Were learning every day.Hill made 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, but the Hokies connected on just 60 percent of their free-throw attempts (18 of 30). Virginia Tech was able to make up for it by hitting 10 of 26 from beyond the 3-point arc.If they get penetration, because of their spacing and ball movement, theyre going to find the open guy, Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. Youve got three of their five guys typically making 3s -- and then (Chris) Clarke throws one in. And LeDay throws one in. It doesnt do good for the other team.BIG PICTUREOle Miss needs to shore up its perimeter defense if it harbors any hopes of postseason play. The Rebels gave up 10 3-pointers to Virginia Tech and have allowed at least eight 3s in eight of nine games this season.Virginia Tech added another impressive win to its resume, as it seeks a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ole Miss came in ranked No. 26 in the Ratings Percentage Index. The Hokies also have non-conference wins against New Mexico, Nebraska and Michigan.QUOTE TO NOTEVirginia Tech post player Khadim Sy scored the Hokies first three baskets of the second half, forcing Kennedy to stop playing a 1-3-1 zone and go to a man-to-man defense -- which the Hokies exploited. Sy, a native of Senegal, scored just the six points, but had an impact on the game and has a huge fan in his coach Williams.Hes like Eddie Murphy in `Coming to America, Williams said. Hes just happy to be here. I think thats part of the reason why hes good. He doesnt have a lot of bad voices in his head. He wants to do what you ask him to do.UP NEXTThe Rebels return to action Thursday with a home game against Murray State for the first of three straight non-conference home games before opening SEC play against No. 6 Kentucky on Dec. 29The Hokies are in exams this week and dont return to the court until Saturday when they continue non-conference play with a home game against The Citadel. Virginia Tech is a combined 23-2 all-time versus its next three opponents. Reggie Ragland Super Bowl Jersey . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Sammy Watkins Super Bowl Jersey . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth-Lesean-Mccoy-Chiefs-Jersey/ . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Martinas Rankin Super Bowl Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Tyreek Hill Super Bowl Jersey . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If there has been a constant in the New York Giants three-game winning streak, its been that Steve Spagnuolos defense has had to make a fourth-quarter stands to secure the wins.Last week, the defense stopped the Eagles at the New York 17 after Eli Manning threw his second interception of the fourth quarter in a 28-23 win.The unit had to pitch a shutout over the Rams in the final three quarters in a 17-10 win in London on Oct. 23.The streak started with the defense holding in the waning seconds after the Ravens got to the Giants 24 in a 27-23 win.We know how good we can be, but we are not there yet, linebacker Keenan Robinson said. We still have a long way to go. We havent done anything yet.The job for the defense will be tougher Monday night when the Giants (5-3) host the Cincinnati Bengals (3-4-1) at MetLife Stadium. While the Bengals defense has struggled this season, their offense is stacked.Andy Dalton has had a 100-plus quarterback rating in four of his last five games. A.J. Green leads the NFL in receiving with 59 catches, and his 896 yards are No. 2 overall. The running game is averaging 120.3 yards, with Jeremy Hill gaining 5.0 yards a pop. Giovanni Bernard gains roughly 4.0 yards per run and is second on the team with 31 catches.Theres more, too. Tight end Tyler Eifert returned to the lineup in London on Oct. 30 and had nine catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.`Man, they can run the ball or pass the ball, Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon said Friday. They have a good quarterback and they have a good receiver as well. They have good weapons on the offensive side of the ball, so we just have to play our ball.If there is one thing that the defense has done well, it is stop the run. New York is ninth in the league, limiting opponents to an average of 93.9 yards. Only three teams have gotten 100 yards on the ground -- Green Bay (147), Minnesota (104) and Dallas (101) -- and none in the last three games.You have to make them as one-dimensional as possible, linebacker Devon Kennard said. We have to go in and stop them on first and second down when it comes to the run game and make them have to throw; put them in third-and-long situations and make it harder on them.Stopping the run is going to fall on thee Giants front seven with tackles Johnathan Hankins and Damon Harrison stuffing the middle, Vernon and fellow end Jason Pierre-Paul holding the edges and funneling the plays back inside.ddddddddddddSafety Landon Collins gives the front seven an extra boost with his ability to come into the box. He leads the team in tackles, sacks and interceptions, picking up three in the last two games.Hes a big key part of their defense, Dalton said of Collins, who has taken major strides in his second season. `Hes all over the place, and you have to know where he is. Hes been playing well for them. For a guy to lead in sacks and interceptions, it shows how great a player he is.The defense has also excelled in the red zone. It has allowed only 11 touchdowns in 28 possessions, the best in the league at 39.3 percent.There are concerns, though. Too many big plays surrendered: The Eagles had seven plays of 20 or more yards last week and probably would have had more points had they not failed on two fourth-down plays in New York territory and had a field goal blocked.Sometimes big plays happen, said Robinson, who has done an excellent job recently covering tight ends. We want to make sure we play disciplined, sound football so we limit the big plays. Sometimes they are going to make the great catch or the great throw. If we are giving up big plays because we are not in the right position or made the wrong call, thats what we have to eliminate.Still, this is a major improvement from a year ago when the defense blew leads either in the fourth quarter or overtime in six games.I feel good, said cornerback Janoris Jenkins, the free agent signee who has given New York a shutdown cornerback, one who will probably draw Green on Monday night. I have been saying it since the beginning of the year, I think we can be special, and I still feel that. We just have to continue to work.Game notes WR Victor Cruz (ankle) did not practice for the second straight day. He hopes to play. ... Coach Ben McAdoo moved the practice into the teams bubble with winds gusting.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and -http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '