Jackets fall to Virginia Tech in final minute

January 12, 2017, Atlanta: Josh Pastner leads Georgia Tech to a 75-63 victory over Clemson during a NCAA basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

January 12, 2017, Atlanta: Josh Pastner leads Georgia Tech to a 75-63 victory over Clemson during a NCAA basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Georgia Tech came close, but couldn’t close the deal Wednesday night.

The Yellow Jackets, seeking their third consecutive ACC win, fell 62-61 to Virginia Tech in a game in which they held the Hokies to their season scoring low, but lost when a last-second shot by forward Quinton Stephens was off the mark.

Georgia Tech (11-7 overall, 3-3 ACC) trailed by as many as nine in the second half before rallying late. The lead changed hands four times in the final 1:32, the last time on Seth Allen’s drive to the basket with 15 seconds left for the final 62-61 score.

The Jackets had two possessions to win the game in the final 11 seconds, but were unable to execute an alley-oop from guard Tadric Jackson to Ben Lammers off an inbounds pass and then after Hokies guard Justin Robinson missed the front end of a one-and-one with 8.9 seconds left, Stephens missed on a pullup jumper near the free-throw line as time expired.

Virginia Tech improved to 14-4 overall and 3-3 in the ACC.