Hokies Reverse Late Game Misfortune, Topple Terps 67-66

With the largest and rowdiest crowd of the season packing Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech battled to their first ACC victory with a win over the Maryland Terrapins.

“I think this win will get us really confident and we see what it takes to win in the ACC,” said senior Deron Washington. “We have to play the whole game and I think the freshman are learning that real quick and coming along just fine.”

While the Hokies led by as many as 10 points early in the first half, Maryland slowed Jeff Allen and got A.D. Vassallo in foul trouble and ended the half on a momentum swinging 28-12 run.

Tech fought hard in the second half to keep Maryland’s six-point lead from expanding and it never did. While there was four ties in the second half, Maryland seemed to have an answer each time Tech seemed to be gaining control.

After the Hokies tied the game at 61 with 3:06 left to play, Maryland answered with five straight points and the game seemed to be slipping away into Tech’s routine late game misfortune this season. However, a jumper by freshman point guard Hank Thorns and then an unselfish shuffle pass from Thorns to freshman teammate Malcolm Delaney set up a three pointer with 52 seconds left to tie the game as the crowd erupted.

“I think that was my biggest shot of my career,” said Delaney, “ when we play as a team and make the extra pass as Coach tells us there is always a better shot. He [Thorns] made the extra pass and I made the better shot.”

The next play on defense, Washington poked the ball out of James Gist’s hands and Delaney came up with the steal. This set up freshman Jeff Allen who was able to draw the 5th foul from Bombale Osby and head to the free throw line.

Allen made 1-2 free throws and after a timeout Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez took a deep and highly contest shot over Washington that clanked off the rim as the time expired to seal the victory for the Hokies.

“Deron did a great job and got his hands up to contest the shot but you know we could have done that and he could have made that fade away and we would have been crushed. I’ve seen him make that shot,” said Hokie coach Seth Greenberg.

“It’s just one play between wanting to taste your food tonight or throw it up. If he makes that shot…you’re just sick and there’s nothing to get you out of that funk. We would have to bounce back because if you get too caught up in one game in this league it will suffocate you. There is such a fine line and particularly in this league because it’s under such a microscope.”

The late free throw by Allen gave Virginia Tech its first lead since the 7:51 mark of the first half. Allen’s teammates told him before the free throws that he “owed them after the Butler game” in which he made 1-2 to tie it to send the game to an eventual overtime loss instead of a victory.

Part of the key to victory was getting to the free throw line throughout the second half. In the first half, Tech went just 2-4 from the line while in the second half hit 18-24.

“We wanted to attack. Our goal was to get Gist in foul trouble. It was really a battle of who was going to get in foul trouble first Allen or Gist and fortunately we got Gist a little tentative,” said Greenberg.

Vassallo’s second half contribution was also critical. The junior played just six minutes in the first half after picking up two early fouls but was able to stay out of foul trouble and play the entire 20 minutes in the second half. His 14 second half points in which he missed only three shots kept the Hokies alive when they needed some clutch points.

“I just had to concentrate a little more,” said Vassallo. “Since I had to sit down I guess I had a little more energy in the second half. Coach told me my time would come and the guys found me with some open shots and I hit the shots.”

Tech heads to Charlottesville to play in one of the ACC’s toughest venues on Wednesday night. UVA managed to go a perfect 8-0 last season in ACC play in the brand new John Paul Jones Arena. One the nation’s best guards in senior Sean Singletary leads the Cavaliers.

“He’s special because of his heart. He’s a fierce, fierce competitor and he’s a winning player. It will probably be another slugfest,” added Greenberg.

Game Leaders


Scoring: VT- Allen 17, Maryland- Gist 16
Rebounds: VT-Allen 9, Maryland- Osby 12
Assists: VT- Thorns 4, Maryland- Tucker 6
Steals: VT- Allen 5, Maryland- Tucker 3

Blocks: VT- Allen 3, Maryland- Gist 3