Hokies Outpace Jackets In 76-71 Win (Video Included)

Like so many games in the ACC this year, the matchup between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech took the entire 40 minutes to decide. Despite never trailing and leading by as many as 10 points, the Hokies needed key stops and late free throws to dispatch the Yellow Jackets 76-71 in Cassell Coliseum.

"I told the guys this was a man's game," Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said. "If you are going to be a man today work on rebounding the ball... you got to step up, throw your neck, stick your nose in the there."

The Hokie players took their coach's motivation to heart. They fought off multiple rallies from the Georgia Tech offense throughout the night, but maintained the lead for the entire forty minutes and left the court with heads held high.

Greenberg praised the team's performance, especially Jeff Allen, who had 15 points and nine boards in the victory. "What I'm most proud of is our ability to rebound the basketball; I thought we really did a good job rebounding overall. In the first half Jeff Allen was just a monster rebounding the ball... up in the crowd he was the first one to it."

Ten minutes into the first half the Hokies demonstrated what the close win over NC State on Sunday had taught them: that rebounds and open shots would be plentiful in Cassell Coliseum if they worked for them.

By the end of the first half the Hokies had amassed nine more rebounds than in their first half against the Wolfpack. Out of the 13 total first-half rebounds, Allen grabbed nine.

"Jeff got us off to a really good start rebounding the ball," said Greenberg.

The promising start, however, did not foreshadow an easy game. The biggest lead the Hokies had in the first half was not reached until the end of the first half. Virginia Tech left at halftime with a 41-31 lead.

The "Big 3" of A.D. Vassallo, Malcolm Delaney, and Allen scored all but eight of the team's points, including all the team's three- pointers, in the first twenty minutes. The trio also came out of the first half squeaky clean with no fouls.

Virginia Tech could not keep its momentum going in the second half. In the first ten minutes the Hokies scored just 11 points (four on free throws). The Yellow Jackets, on the other hand, scored 18 points in those opening minutes.

"They were a tough team. They were in situations where they were in double-digit leads in the second-half and teams came back but that's just how the ACC is... so we weren't really expecting a blowout," stated Delaney on his opponents' perseverance.

The Hokies lost their ten-point lead, but never fell behind Georgia Tech. The final buzzer left the Yellow Jackets trailing for the entire forty minutes.

"The Big 3" lived up to their billing. Delaney had 23 points, Allen had nine rebounds, and Vassallo knocked down four three-pointers. The trio scored 56 of the 76 points for the night.

"[Delaney's] the best shooter from the free throw line on the team," Vassallo noted of his teammate's 14 of 15 free throw shooting. "That's what he's supposed to do. He's done that a couple times so I'm not surprised."

Virginia Tech (16-7, 6-3 ACC) now shares a three-way tie for third in the ACC with Florida State and Clemson. Up next the team travels to Maryland to take on the Terrapins at 4 p.m. on Saturday

Video by Ryan Call: