Collegiate Times

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team failed to come away with a big conference road win Tuesday night, falling to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 72-57.

The loss, which pushes the Hokies to 13-6 and 3-3 in the ACC, was characterized by the poor play of the Hokies leader Malcolm Delaney.

Delaney, who entered the night averaging 18.9 points per game, was held to eight points on three of 11 shooting, including 0-3 from behind the arc.

The Hokies went into halftime with a 39-36 lead, led by senior forward Jeff Allen. Allen, who struggled in the Hokies win at Maryland, poured in 12 first half points to counter the hot Yellow Jackets shooting.

Tech, who again employed the 2-3 zone for much of the night, allowed Georgia Tech to shoot 57 percent from the field in the first half. Sophomore swingman Brian Oliver was the Yellow Jackets main source of offense in the opening period with 13 points.

Oliver continued his breakout performance in the second half, as he finished with 28 points and grabbed four rebounds. Oliver’s three-point shooting exposed the holes in the Hokies zone defense.

Sophomore point guard Erick Green had a rough night as well, failing to step up for the struggling Delaney. The Winchester, Va. native has filled in admirably for the injured Dorenzo Hudson, but it wasn’t enough on Tuesday night.

The tight man-to-man defense by Iman Shumpert against Delaney was a big reason for his struggles. Shumpert played right up on Delaney, denying him the ball and keeping a hand up on all his shots. Shumpert’s long arms wreaked havoc all night on the Tech senior.

Shumpert, who leads the Yellow Jackets in points, assists, rebounds and steals, was the thorn in the Hokies side. The junior from Oak Park, Ill. proved how valuable he was Tuesday night, recording the first triple double for the Yellow Jackets since Kenny Anderson in 1989. The junior finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.

The game will be the Hokies last in Atlanta’s Alexander Memorial Coliseum, as Georgia Tech is beginning a $45 million renovation next year. The Yellow Jackets return to what is known as the “Thrillerdome” for the 2012-2013 season.

Road wins, which can never be taken for granted, are tough to come by in the ACC. The Hokies left Atlanta with a blank spot on their NCAA Tournament resume.

Sunday, the Hokies head back to Cassell Coliseum for battle with the Miami Hurricanes. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

A version of this article appeared in the Jan 26 issue of the Collegiate Times.