Radford hits buzzer beater to earn first NCAA Tournament bid since 2009

AP Photo/Don Petersen

Radford guard Travis Fields Jr. celebrates buzzer beater victory that will send Radford to first NCAA Tournament since 2009.

• Radford defeated Liberty on Sunday with a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the Big South conference championship.
• The win gives Radford its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2009, and just the third in the history of the school.
• Radford is projected to enter the tournament as a 16-seed and may have to win one of the "First Four" play-in games.

Selection Sunday may still be a few days away, but with conference tournaments reaching their conclusions, March Madness is already in full swing.

This past Sunday, Radford punched their ticket to the big dance with a buzzer beater win over Liberty in the Big South Conference championship game. With the game tied at 52 in the closing seconds, Radford guard Carlik Jones spotted up from pro-range to hit the game-winning shot and send the home crowd into hysterics.

After the game, Jones would reveal that the play had not gone according to plan, and he had to improvise a bit to get off the buzzer-beating three.

"I had to let it go," Jones said. "You shoot it, and I looked at it after a while and I was like, 'That's good.' It's one of the greatest feelings ever."

The win gives Radford it's first ticket to the NCAA Tournament since 2009, and just the third time in the history of the school. They are currently projected to enter the tournament as a #16 seed, and could potentially play in one of the "First Four" play-in games to get their first NCAA Tournament win in school history.