Box Score

The Hokies finally got a close game to go their way with a gritty 80-77 win against clemson Wednesday night in South Carolina. Malcolm Delaney struggled early, shooting just 2 of 7, but he kept shooting until he found his groove and went on to lead Tech with 26 points.

A.D. Vassallo added 21 points, and in doing so he moved into 10th place on Virginia Tech’s all-time scoring list. Hank Thorns made his first start of the season and played extremely well in helping the Hokies break the clemson press, giving Delaney more room to find open shots on the wing. In all, 10 Hokies scored.

Jeff Allen struggled offensively, but led the team with 8 rebounds, including a crucial defensive board with 1:09 to play with Tech leading 78-75. Allen was just 2/11 from the field and 1/4 from the free throw line for 5 points — his third lowest point total of the season.

Allen picked up his fourth foul with 10 minutes left in the game and Victor Davila came in and played brilliantly, giving back everything clemson’s bigs were dishing out. He only scored 4 points, but they were key buckets. Davila helped the Hokies maintain their low-post presence, forcing the tigers to tighten up inside, which gave the rest of the Hokies some better looks from the perimeter. Victor also added 5 rebounds.

The Hokies grabbed an early 5-2 lead before the tigers used a 12-2 run to take a 7-point lead, 7-14, but that’s as big a lead as either team would see in the game. Tech came back to tie the game at 16, and from there it was a seesaw battle the rest of the first half. Trailing 32-37, Dorenzo Hudson drained a trey with 50 seconds to play. Clemson added a free throw to take a 35-38 lead into the break.

The Hokies came roaring out in the second half behind four big three pointers from Delaney and Vassallo who had two each. clemson opened with a pair of foul shots for a 35-40 lead before Delaney answered with a trey. Trevor Booker got a tip-in to put clemson up 38-42, but then the Hokies got five quick points from a Delaney three and then a Thorns steal and fast break layup to put the Hokies on top 43-42.

Tech surrendered the lead again, falling behind 43-47. But then Vassallo stepped up with two big long distance bombs to push the Hokies back to a 49-49 tie with 15:50 to play. For the next nine minutes the lead changed hands seven times and there were three ties. The Hokies finally grabbed the lead for good with 6:44 to play, but it wasn’t without drama (what else is new).

The Hokies were in complete control of the game and had a 68-61 lead with 9:21 to play. Delaney had just hit a pair of free throws, and the tigers just couldn’t solve the Hokies stingy defense. But as we have come to expect in every Tech game, the Hokies went without a FG for nearly three minutes and allowed clemson to come back and tie the game 68.

Despite the nearly three-minute drought, which is actually pretty short compared some of the other scoreless stretches we’ve seen this season, Tech managed to regain its composure and retook the lead on a Delaney foul shot.

The game came down to the final seconds. Tech had a 78-75 lead when Jeff Allen missed a wide open layup on the baseline. K.C. Rivers pulled down the board and fed Booker for the fast break layup to cut Tech’s lead to one, 78-77, with 22 seconds left.

On the ensuing inbounds play for Tech, clemson did not foul immediately and instead let 8 seconds run off the clock before fouling Vassallo. A.D. hit both free throws to give Tech an 80-77 lead. The tigers took the ball upcourt, but couldn’t get a good look for a trey to tie the game thanks to Tech’s D. Demontez Stitt took the three at the buzzer but missed. There was a lot of contact on the shot, but the official did not blow the whistle and the game ended with the Hokies 80-77 winners.

It was yet another physical ACC game that left both sides exhausted. Tech returns to Blacksburg to host the dookies Saturday night at the Cassell. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ABC. The Hokies are looking to avenge their worst loss of the season, in which they were torched on dook’s home floor, 44-69 in what is undoubtedly Tech’s worst game of the season. Can you say “payback?”

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