Some games are decided not by skill but by a single unreadable moment, and this one belonged to that rare kind. On a November night, Georgia Tech rallied from eleven points down to edge UNC Asheville 75-74, after Connor Dubsky's late three had dragged the score level and the game seemed bound for overtime. Then, with 2.2 seconds left, Asheville's Myles Mayfield committed a deliberate foul, and the outcome turned on the free throw line, where Victor Valdes made one of two. The sequence, which apparently seemed to Mayfield a reasonable choice in the rush of the moment, left Asheville with a pain
Mayfield's Intentional Foul Hands Georgia Tech a 75-74 Win Over UNC Asheville
Mayfield fouled a Yellow Jacket almost immediately, on purpose.
Mark
So the headline is one foul. Why does it carry the whole story?
Mimi
Because of the timing. Dubsky's three tied it with 2.2 seconds left, and the foul came almost right away. Overtime was in reach, and the foul gave Georgia Tech free throws instead.
Luke
One thing to hold carefully: the report says Mayfield apparently didn't know the score. That's an inference from how the play looked. Nothing here quotes him saying so.
Mark
Fair. What else shaped the outcome?
Mimi
Asheville led by 10 with 6:30 to go, and by 32-25 at halftime. Georgia Tech had been down as many as 11 in the second half.
Luke
Which means the foul wasn't the only thing. The report says as much: there was plenty of blame to go around.
Mark
And Mayfield himself had a strong night?
Mimi
Twenty-one points on 9-of-11 shooting. That's the part that stings.
Luke
Also worth noting Valdes made only one of two. Asheville still had a chance to respond, but the report says it couldn't get a shot off. We don't know how the final possession was set up.
Mark
What about Georgia Tech's side?
Mimi
They shot 37% but grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and won the glass 45-37. Fields had 14 and 14.
Le Pouls
- Asheville held a double-digit lead with minutes to play, and it looked like the night was theirs.
- Dubsky's tying three with seconds left flipped the arena's mood and set up an overtime that never came.
- Mayfield's intentional foul, made almost immediately after the tie, stunned the court and his own coaching staff.
- Valdes sank one of two free throws to hand Georgia Tech a 75-74 lead, and Asheville could not get another shot off before the clock expired.
- Georgia Tech moves to 4-0 on the season, while Asheville is left to replay a one-point loss that had been within reach.
Some games are decided not by skill but by a single unreadable moment, and this one belonged to that rare kind. On a November night, Georgia Tech rallied from eleven points down to edge UNC Asheville 75-74, after Connor Dubsky's late three had dragged the score level and the game seemed bound for overtime. Then, with 2.2 seconds left, Asheville's Myles Mayfield committed a deliberate foul, and the outcome turned on the free throw line, where Victor Valdes made one of two. The sequence, which apparently seemed to Mayfield a reasonable choice in the rush of the moment, left Asheville with a painful lesson in how quickly a controlled game can slip away.
With 2.2 seconds left and the score tied at 74, UNC Asheville looked close to a rare escape. Connor Dubsky had just hit a three to wipe out a Georgia Tech lead, and overtime seemed the likely next step. Instead, Myles Mayfield fouled a Yellow Jacket almost at once, on purpose, and sent Victor Valdes to the line.
Valdes made one of two free throws, enough to give Georgia Tech a 75-74 lead. Asheville had no time for another shot, and the game ended there.
Head coach Mike Morrell was initially in disbelief, and the account suggests Mayfield may not have understood the score. Still, Morrell and teammates gathered around him afterward.
The loss hurt because Asheville had controlled much of the game, leading by 10 with 6:30 to play and holding a 32-25 halftime edge. Georgia Tech, now 4-0, had trailed by as many as 11 after the break. Mayfield's 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting were a strong individual performance, but the final seconds overshadowed it. Georgia Tech also won despite shooting 37% from the field, rebounding its way back with 19 offensive boards and a 45-37 edge on the glass.
With 2.2 seconds left on the clock and the score tied at 74, UNC Asheville had just pulled off something close to a miracle. Connor Dubsky had hit a 3-pointer to erase a three-point Georgia Tech lead, and the game looked headed for overtime. Then Myles Mayfield, a UNC Asheville forward, fouled a Yellow Jacket almost immediately, on purpose.
The foul sent Georgia Tech's Victor Valdes to the free throw line. He made one of two, which was enough to put Georgia Tech ahead 75-74. Asheville could not get another shot off before time expired, and the game ended there.
The account of what Mayfield was thinking comes only from the way the play looked. The report says he apparently did not know the score, since the foul was intentional and came so quickly after the tying shot. Head coach Mike Morrell was initially in disbelief, according to the report, but he and other players consoled Mayfield afterward.
The ending was especially hard because Asheville had controlled much of the game. The team led by 10 with 6:30 to play, and it held a 32-25 edge at halftime. Georgia Tech, now 4-0 on the season, was down by as many as 11 in the second half before it rallied. The report notes that there was plenty of blame to go around for a lead that large disappearing.
The foul also overshadowed one of the best individual games on the floor. Mayfield scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, an efficient night that the final seconds erased from the story.
Georgia Tech won despite shooting just 37% from the field. The Yellow Jackets made up for it on the glass, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and outrebounding Asheville 45-37. Jackson Fields finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Tylis Jordan added seven rebounds. Kam Craft scored 13 points and made four 3-pointers, while Kaiden Bailey contributed 11 points off the bench.
For Asheville, the loss is a one-point defeat in the early weeks of the season, after a double-digit lead and a tying shot that briefly seemed to rescue the night. Georgia Tech leaves with an unbeaten record at 4-0.
Citations marquantes
Coach Mike Morrell was initially in disbelief but, with players, consoled Mayfield after the foul.— Report on UNC Asheville's reaction
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