VT guard Paul Debnam gets knocked down near the end of the game as he attempts a shot.
With hopes of an NCAA Tournament appearance at the wayside, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team moved forward and won decisively in the team’s first round NIT contest against Bethune-Cookman.
Tech, which was snubbed from the Big Dance for the fourth consecutive season, levered its frustration as motivation for the team and trounced BCU 79-54. The Hokies led for the entire duration of the game, and shot a scorching 55.9 percent from the field.
“I’ve been saying it all along, this is probably the most resilient group I’ve ever been around,” said Seth Greenberg, Tech head coach. “If you’re going to play, you’re going to play to win the game.”
In the first half, the Hokies were on fire as they jumped out to an early 10-4 lead. Also in the opening minutes, Tech guard Malcolm Delaney drained two three-pointers and showed a little swagger after hitting the second as he flaunted a “three” sign.
“Like I said we playing to win, getting to the Garden we haven’t been there yet,” Delaney said. “We playing basketball, and I’m pretty sure nobody plays basketball to lose on our team.”
Bethune-Cookman cut the lead to seven with 15:36 remaining in the half, after a three-pointer by Kevin Dukes, but that would be the closest the Wildcats would get.
Tech went on a 12-0 run, which included a dazzling behind-the-back pass from Delaney to 2011 All-ACC Academic member, Tyrone Garland, who threw down the one-handed slam.
With 9:10 remaining in the first half, fan-favorite and senior Paul Debnam checked into the game. Debnam had just one rebound in the half but energized an otherwise lethargic crowd. Attendance hardly tipped the scales, with an announced crowd 2,892 sparsely populating Cassell Coliseum.
The Hokies would head to the locker room with a comfortable 42-24 lead. Tech’s largest lead in the first stanza was 23, and the Wildcats never led. Forward Jeff Allen had 12 points and Delaney added nine, all on three-pointers, directing the offensive onslaught, which saw Tech shoot a sizzling 61.3 percent from the field.
A version of this article appeared in the Mar 17 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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What is a Bethune-Cookman?
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It's the last name of a married feminist.
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Bethune-Cookman U. is a black college in Florida.
I see VT is still teaching quality research skills. The taint of misogyny was an added treat.
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