“Just like football” it was. Once again virginia came to Blacksburg and did their best to put me to sleep. The football game at Lane this season was a yawner, with both offenses struggling and Tech’s defense dominating. The game was never really in doubt for the Hokies. Saturday afternoon was more of the same – the wahoo basketball team fell behind to the Hokies early, and Tech cruised to a relatively easy 27-point victory.

When virginia cut the lead to 42-29 early in the second half I turned to my roommate and said, this game is going to get close and it’s going to be soon. I was wrong — the game never got close, as Deron Washington and A.D. “The Puerto Rican Assassin” Vassallo dunked and shot the hoos out of Cassell. I found myself almost bored, just waiting for the next Deron high-flying dunk, but I’ll take boring 27-point wins the rest of the way out if I can.

Deron played arguably his best game ever, although his three-point shooting could’ve been more accurate – he was one-for-six. I’ve been saying for weeks that A.D. needed more playing time and he got it, playing 39 minutes. Jamon Gordon also looked better then he has the past couple games. Gordon, Washington and Vasallo carried the Hokies, who went without offensive production from Zabian Dowdell and Coleman Collins.

On a day when ucla went down, flordia survived kentucky, georgetown beat marquette and unc killed wake, Tech’s big win didn’t get any national coverage, but here in Hokie Nation there is no doubt that the win over the hated hoos was impressive and important to Tech’s NCAA Tourney goals.

In three weeks the Hokies head to the Porta-John (I’ll be there and I hope a lot of other Hokies are too) and will try to complete a total sweep of virginia in football and basketball, something that would make me, and most Hokie fans, indescribably happy.

Final random thoughts from the game: That little kid break dancing during a first half timeout was awesome. The Hokie Bird’s half court, no-look, backwards shot at the half was incredible; he should’ve stopped shooting after that though. And, Deron Washington is making the line between jumping and flying very blurry to me. Who’s your daddy? Go Hokies!