With NCAA tournament hopes hanging in the balance, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team defeated North Carolina State University 71-59 Wednesday night in Cassell Coliseum.
This was the last home game of the season, and the Cassell was defended well. With the win, the Hokies (22-7, 9-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) finish the year with a 15-1 record at home.
“This was a win we had to have and we found a way to win it,” said head coach Seth Greenberg.
Junior guards Dorenzo Hudson and Malcolm Delaney led the charge with 21 points each. Junior forward Jeff Allen also played a big part with 18 points and nine rebounds.
“We don’t want to live on the bubble like the last two years,” Delaney said. “We don’t control our own destiny on the bubble.”
The win brings Tech one step closer to a first-round bye in the ACC tournament.
“It’s good to have that first-round bye,” Delaney said, “especially with some guys being beat up on our team — we might need that day of rest.”
NC State tried to keep the pace slow, allowing the shot clock to approach zero throughout the game, but the Wolfpack couldn’t convert shots when it needed to.
Tech forced 20 turnovers and scored 15 points off of them.
Another battle the Hokies dominated was points in the paint. Tech amassed 34 points in the paint compared to the Wolfpack’s 22.
“I feel like we just needed to get stops and get easier layups,” Hudson said. “I feel like we did a pretty good job of that tonight.”
Things started out well for the Wolfpack, as it marched out to a 7-2 lead. That would be its biggest lead in the game, as Tech quickly responded and tied it up.
After Julius Mays hit a three-pointer to give NC State a 20-17 lead, Tech went on a 14-2 run to close the half. The Hokies went into the locker room ahead 31-22 and wouldn’t relinquish that lead for the rest of the game.
“We are hungry right now,” Delaney said. “We knew we couldn’t have a let down coming into this game. We had to play with the momentum we had. Even though we lost (against Maryland), we still had momentum coming in.”
Wolfpack head coach Sidney Lowe had his team ready to fight back, however. Tech saw its nine-point lead evaporate to a two-point lead quickly in the second half, as part of a 10-3 Wolfpack run.
Shortly thereafter, though, Delaney made his presence known and converted three consecutive three-pointers to swell the lead to 11.
“I’m starting to get my legs back,” Delaney said. “I’m healthy. I’m feeling a lot better than I was. I’m still a little sore, but I’m getting my legs back now. My body is starting to recover. Hopefully that will lead to more shots.”
Delaney’s streak contributed to a 17-6 tear by the Hokies and with 9:22 left, the Hokies carried a 51-38 lead.
Tech was able to withstand every ensuing NC State charge and earn the victory. It was an important win that ended Tech’s three-game losing streak.
Seniors Lewis Witcher and Paul Debnam celebrated their final home game as Hokies. Both received slots in the starting lineup. With chants of “Lew” from the crowd, Witcher contributed four points and four rebounds on the night.
“Definitely this game right here helped me boost my confidence,” Witcher said. “It helped make me feel good about myself. I know I’ve had some adversity with not playing as much as I wanted, but I just kept working hard and kept doing the things I do. Now I guess it’s showing that the hard work is paying off, and that’s the biggest thing.”
“I told the guys when we came back in the locker room to give Lewis Witcher a lasting memory,” Greenberg said. “He’s going to have a lasting memory of this game tonight. His career might not have been everything he wanted it to be, but he’s going to remember tonight.”
The crowd also called for a final bow from Debnam at the end of the game. He drew a foul and made one of two free throws to close out his college career.
The Hokies will travel to Georgia Tech to close out the regular season on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be televised locally on Raycom Sports.