Box Score

Make it two in a row! Two “moral” victories in a row, that is.

It was a valiant effort and the Hokies certainly gave the 14th-ranked hurricanes all they could handle tonight, but it wasn’t enough. miami overcame a 12-point first-half deficit to beat the Hokies 73-64.

All-intergalactic guard Erick Green scored 30 points to lead all scorers. He hit a career-high five three-pointers. Surprisingly, Green didn’t have to carry the entire load in the first half. Jarell Eddie and Robert Brown each scored eight points in the first 20 minutes to help the Hokies take a 12-point lead.

The second half? Not so much. Green scored 16 of the Hokies’ 32 second-half points. Brown was shut out and Eddie didn’t score a second-half field goal until he hit a three-pointer with :33 left. He did hit three free throws with 2:14 remaining to cut Miami’s lead to 60-56. Eddie finished with 14 points.

Cadarian Raines, who has struggled to put points on the board, added six points in the second and had 10 for the game. Brown finished with eight and Joey van Zegeren was the only other player to score; he had two points.

Coming into the game, the Hokies could not afford a slow start like the one that cost them a loss to clemson on Sunday. Thursday night, at home against No. 14 ranked miami, Tech got off to fantastic start with Green and Eddie hitting back-to-back three pointers.

The hot start got the crowd into the game early and helped push Virginia Tech to a surprising 12-point lead, 28-16, with just under six minutes to play in the first half.

But miami’s NBA-sized front court and lightning quick backcourt shook off the unexpectedly good start by the Hokies and used an 18-3 run to cut VT’s lead to three at the half.

The Hokies hung with the canes for the first nine minutes of the second half, but miami went on a 10-0 run midway through the second to surge past the tired Hokies and take a 9-point lead. That was the ball game.

Closing thoughts:

• Shane Larkin is a shoe-in for the Opponent Hall of Fame. He came in averaging just over 12 point a game ended up with 25 points, a new career-high in an ACC contest and two shy of tying his career-best (vs. Jacksonville). He also hit a career-high five three-pointers tonight vs. the Hokies.
• Erick Green score 30 points while the remaining four starters combined for 16 points (Eddie had 14, JVZ 2, Barksale 0, Rankin 0)