Hokie Postseason Ends In 84-66 Loss To Baylor (Video Included)

By Neal Turnage
Video by Ryan Call
March 21, 2009 

Lined up across the front row of the student section at Virginia Tech's Cassell Coliseum stood a group of orange-masked fans in a sort of homage to the dance crew, the JabbaWockeeZ.  By the end of the 84-66 drubbing the Hokies received at the hands of the Baylor Bears, those fans were probably glad they hid their faces.

"Our inability to make a shot early really affected our ability to defend," said Tech coach Seth Greenberg.  "We just stopped checking people and the basket got really big for them and they physically overpowered us up front.  We got down on ourselves.  I feel really bad because the crowd was great. People came and supported us and we kind of let them down."

Tech could not find a rhythm early, shooting just 1-17 (5.9%) from the floor in the first 12:23 and falling behind by 17.  Tech senior A.D. Vassallo fell particularly cold in his final collegiate game, going 4-17 on the day and not recording a single point in the first half.  On the other hand, Josh Lomers, Baylor's seven-foot junior, dominated with his size in the first half, scoring 12 and blocking two shots.  By halftime the Bears held a commanding 41-21 lead.

"He is a large human being," said Tech coach Seth Greenberg of Lomers. "We didn't defend him very well."

Vassallo felt that the Bears size advantage still did not account for the poor shooting.

"I'll be honest with you I thought we had great looks.  I was able to shoot over the guards; they were small guards.  I was able to shoot clean shots but the ball was really not going in.  We got some good looks inside with Jeff (Allen) and the ball just rolled out. Malcolm (Delaney) had some wide-open shots that rarely he and I miss.  It was just one of those days the ball just didn't want to go our way."

The beginning of the second half saw more of the same with Baylor knocking down tough shots from all over the court while Tech struggled to score at all.  Finally, trailing by 28 with just under nine minutes to play, the Hokies went on a run.  For the first time all game the shots started to fall and the defense was able to create stops.  Back to back steals and dunks by Dorenzo Hudson ignited the crowd and kept alive the glimmer of hope that the Hokies' season would not end here.

"I did a poor job of slowing us down too much," said Baylor coach Scott Drew. "I probably been more aggressive in keeping us aggressive.  Credit Virginia Tech, though, because they really got scrappy and forced us to turn the ball over."

In less than four minutes Tech trimmed the Baylor lead from 28 to just 12.  But that was as close as it would get the rest of the way.  The Bear defense stiffened and the offense returned to end the Hokie threat.  Baylor (22-14) advances to the NIT quarterfinal round to face Auburn.

The Bears had six scorers in double figures on the day, led by 16 each from Kevin Rogers and Curtis Jerrell.  Only Delaney (14) and Vassallo (12) reached double digits for the Hokies.  Allen, the other member of Tech's "Big Three" managed nine points and three rebounds.

"We had a good year, not a great year." Greenberg said.

The Hokies finish the season with an overall record of 19-15. 

"This guy here (Vassallo) has had one of the great careers of all the people that ever played at Virginia Tech," Greenberg said. "To be the fifth-leading scorer, to be in post season play three years in a row, to commit to Virginia Tech when it wasn't very fashionable; he really had a very special career."

Vassallo ends his Hokie career fifth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1822 points and holds the record for most career three-point field goals with 267.

"It hurts," Vasallo said. "I really wanted to leave Tech winning championships, making sure I left my mark.  But it couldn't happen and I'm happy the guys worked as hard as they could, I couldn't ask for anything more."

"I had a great four years; I can't complain," he added. "These guys came in my junior year, the year we weren't supposed to do nothing at all...and Jeff, Malcom, Zo (Hudson) and JT (Thompson) stepped up and we had a great season.  It showed that those guys can play and showed the character of the team and I was just happy from then on."

Also playing his final collegiate game was Cheick Diakite.  His only points of the game came off a jumper in the first half that ended an over eight-and-a-half minute stretch without a Tech field goal.  Diakite logged 16 minutes and received a curtain call in the final minute to the tune of the Tech faithful chanting, "We want Cheick!" The Bamako, Mali native leaves the Hokies ranked fifth on their all-time blocked shots list with 125.

Complete game stats here.

Video by Ryan Call