MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Virginia's Jontel Evans (left) drives on Virginia Tech's Terrell Bell during Thursday's game at John Paul Jones Arena.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Down by 10 points late in regulation and without one of its best players, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team pulled off a stunning comeback Thursday.

The Hokies beat rival Virginia 76-71 in overtime, recording their second OT win at John Paul Jones Arena in three years.

"How 'bout them Hokies!" coach Seth Greenberg yelled as he entered Tech's locker room after the win.

Malcolm Delaney, who had 27 points for Tech, high-fived his coach at game's end.

"We've got people that can step up and play. It's not just a three-man team," Delaney said. "We just showed our toughness today, and that's a good way to win on the road in a hostile environment.

"Last year, we lost this game [at UVa], and it's starting to turn around for us this year, and that's just because of our hard work and defense.

"It's good to get a win like that at home, but on the road, that's tough. Not many people are winning on the road in the ACC."

The Hokies played without forward Jeff Allen after he was ejected for a flagrant foul with 13:41 to go in regulation. They trailed 62-52 with 3:44 to go but went on a 13-0 run to grab a 65-62 lead with 10.1 seconds left in regulation.

"Every time we huddled up, somebody said, 'We still in it,'" said Allen's backup, J.T. Thompson, who had 17 points off the bench.

UVa's Sammy Zeglinski buried a deep 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to tie the score at 65 and force overtime.

But the Hokies (16-3, 3-2 ACC) scored the first five points of overtime and led the rest of the way.

Tech improved to 5-1 this season in games decided by five points or less or in OT. It was Tech's third OT win of the season.

"I was really proud of our resiliency," Greenberg said. "I was really proud of how tough we were defensively. I was really proud of how hard we ran our offense.

"We have a stick-to-itiveness and a belief in each other."

All but two of Thompson's points came after Allen was ejected. Thompson had four points during Tech's late run and seven more in OT. It was only the third time this season that he scored in double figures.

"When I [saw] ... Jeff wasn't coming back, I just knew I had to step it up, and that's what I did," Thompson said.

Allen had the ball and was trying to fight off a double team when he elbowed Jeff Jones in the face so hard that Jones fell to the floor.

The officials ruled that it was a flagrant personal foul, which requires an ejection. They watched the TV monitor to confirm their ruling.

Allen "said that he secured the ball, he chinned the ball and he turned -- he didn't even see Jeff Jones, who was a teammate of his in AAU," Greenberg said.

The ejection does not require a mandatory suspension for Tech's next game, a visit to Miami on Sunday. Greenberg refused to comment when asked if he expected the ACC or athletic director Jim Weaver to suspend Allen anyway.

This is the third straight year Allen has been involved in an on-court incident. Two years ago, he was suspended two games by the ACC for deliberately bumping an official. Last year, he was suspended one game by Weaver for making an obscene gesture to fans at a game at Maryland.

UVa (12-6, 3-2) led 37-34 when Allen was ejected. The intentional foul helped UVa eventually extend the lead to 44-34 with 13:00 to go.

With Tech down 62-52, Tech began pressing the Cavaliers.

Delaney scored four points, Thompson made a basket and Dorenzo Hudson (18 points) sank a 3-pointer. Thompson drove to the basket and scored to give Tech a 63-62 lead with 39 seconds left in regulation.

"We got some stops and we got out in transition," Delaney said of Tech's late run. "And we [were] scrappy -- we got every 50-50 ball."

"They made some tough shots, ... but I thought we had some breakdowns," UVa coach Tony Bennett said of the run. "If we had managed the clock a little better. ... "

VIRGINIA TECH (16-3)

Allen 2-7 0-0 4, Davila 3-4 0-0 6, Bell 0-2 1-2 1, Hudson 7-14 1-2 18, Delaney 9-24 9-10 27, Raines 0-0 0-0 0, Green 1-2 0-0 3, Witcher 0-0 0-0 0, Boggs 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 6-9 5-6 17. Totals 28-62 16-20 76.

VIRGINIA (12-6)

Scott 8-16 4-4 21, Meyinsse 3-3 3-4 9, Evans 0-3 0-0 0, Zeglinski 2-7 3-4 9, Landesberg 8-16 0-2 18, Farrakhan 1-3 0-0 2, Sherrill 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 3-9 5-8 12. Totals 25-57 15-22 71.

Halftime--Virginia Tech 28-27. End Of Regulation--Tied 65. 3-Point Goals--Virginia Tech 4-12 (Hudson 3-3, Green 1-2, Allen 0-1, Delaney 0-6), Virginia 6-19 (Landesberg 2-5, Zeglinski 2-7, Scott 1-1, Jones 1-5, Farrakhan 0-1). Fouled Out--Sherrill. Rebounds--Virginia Tech 39 (Allen, Thompson 7), Virginia 34 (Scott 8). Assists--Virginia Tech 12 (Green 4), Virginia 12 (Landesberg 5). Total Fouls--Virginia Tech 17, Virginia 23. A--13,449.