Georgia Tech 69, Maryland 64

GREENSBORO –  Ever since Maryland wing Cliff Tucker buried a game-winning 3-pointer last month, Georgia Tech has wanted another shot to prove that they could beat the Terrapins.

Friday night, the Yellow Jackets got something just as good: a block.

Guard Iman Shumpert’s deflection of ACC Player of the Year Greivis Vasquez’s game-tying 3-point attempt with 5 seconds left in the ACC tournament quarterfinals secured Tech’s first win over Maryland – 69-64, at Greensboro Coliseum – since 2004.

The seventh-seeded Yellow Jackets will play the Florida State/ N.C. State late-game winner in today’s semi-finals at 3:30 p.m.. The victory likely also means that Tech (21-11), which had won only two of its last seven regular-season games entering the tourney, has wrapped up an NCAA bid. Maryland (23-8) is an at-large lock.

“We just wanted to prove that we could beat them,’’ said Shumpert, who led his team with 14 points. “We felt that we had beaten them the first time, but they made a great shot. We just wanted to establish that, even though he hit that big shot, we weren’t going to let them do it again.

“Just with the 7-9 [ACC] season we had, a lot of people saying we weren’t a very good team, I think everybody in this locker room wanted to prove something. So we just wanted to keep advancing.”

They advanced despite turning the ball over 25 times, making only eight second-half field goals – and allowing the Terps to almost completely erase a 16-point halftime lead.

Tech led 41-25 at the break. But the Terps, who shot a miserable 9-for-31 in the first half, began the second half more aggressive. By the 12:59 mark, they had used a 21-7 run – which included 11 Tech turnovers – to cut their deficit to 48-46.

With 12 seconds left, a free throw by Tech’s Zachery Peacock gave the Yellow Jackets a 67-64 lead.

Running down the court on defense, Shumpert – who had the assignment of guarding Vasquez – said he knew the senior was going to take a 3-pointer: “I knew if I left him open, he was going to hit it. I knew if I didn’t deflect it, he was going to make it. … So I just saw him hold the ball out and I tried to block it up.”

Tech coach Paul Hewitt said his team was actually supposed to foul on that possession, “but he just stepped up and made a big-time defensive play.”

After the deflection, Shumpert picked up the loose ball, and was intentionally fouled by Vasquez (who said he thought he had been fouled by Shumpert on the block). Shumpert hit a free throw, then teammate Derrick Favors (11 points, 11 rebounds) buried one of two foul shots, to seal the victory in the closing seconds.

“They got me for the first time,” said Vasquez, who finished with 17 points. “What a time they got me.”