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The Hokies' Terrell Bell would have none of it, swatting the tying trifecta attempt into the arms of Malcolm Delaney to help seal Tech's season-opening win over the visiting Runnin' Bulldogs, 65-62. Though outrebounded, outshot, and outscored by 13 points in the second half, the Hokies dug in their fingers to hang on.
"We're still a very young team," Tech head coach Greenberg said. "We had four sophomores out there, I'm pretty sure, most of the second half ... and two of them were playing new positions."
Greenberg set his team in a zone defense predicated on a small lineup, aiming to combat Gardner-Webb's activity along the three-point line. The Hokies would see its 18-point second half lead fall to one over the final 17 minutes.
"Most of the teams we'll play will have legitimate power forwards or at least two forwards," Greenberg said. "That team had more perimeter players that we had to be able to guard on the perimeter."
After committing 12 turnovers to Tech's five in the first half, Gardner-Webb would dominate this category in the second session to the tune of 10-3.
"I think the zone really took them out of tempo a little," Gardner-Webb coach Rick Scruggs said. "It made them stop, and we got them out of transition a little bit because when we were playing man they were slicing us up pretty good."
Greenberg emphasized that a critical factor in Gardner-Webb's 2-3 zone success and perimeter performance, while praising its efficient play, was due to the recent loss of Tech forward J.T. Thompson. On Wednesday the team announced that Thompson would undergo surgery for an inguinal hernia.
"We went small. Unfortunately, we've only practiced with that small lineup for one day, and that killed our zone offense," Greenberg said. "When we go small we expect to play J.T. at the "four" and yesterday -- for the first time -- I had to put Terrell (Bell) and A.D. (Vassallo) there just for games like this when we have to go small ... "
"We had to guard them on the other end especially when we thought they were going to be shooting a lot of threes (and) setting a lot of ball screens. So ... when we had that lineup in, they were all in positions that they had not played -- except for 20 minutes yesterday."
The Hokies had lead by as much as 18 in the second half, but poor shot selection and a sudden propensity for turnovers would plague Tech throughout the remainder of regulation.
Gardner-Webb would better the Hokies in rebounds – a total of 44-38 – and equal them in field goals, but the Runnin' Bulldogs were unable to knock down a tying three pointer in either of their final two possessions.
"We had the ball in our best player's hands for two shots (and) Flittner missed two three pointers," Scruggs said. "If we had to it over again and we'd run the same thing ... I'm sure Virginia Tech didn't mean to leave him that open."
Flittner led his team in scoring with 21 points, while Auryn MacMillan gave Tech trouble in the paint with 12 points and nine boards.
The visiting team never led, but did give the Tech faithful reason to worry when Aaron Linn was fouled underneath the hoop with 24.3 seconds remaining and hit both free throws to bring the Bulldogs within one, 63-62. However, Malcolm Delaney knocked down a pair of free throws at Gardner-Webb's end after being fouled off the inbound.
Feeding off Runnin' Bulldog turnovers and transition dunks, the first half told a vastly different story for the Hokies. They jumped out to an 18-point lead and seemed they would never look back. The team that went on the road to ruin Kentucky's season opener in 2007 looked as if it would crumble playing outside of the Big South conference this time around.
Gardner-Webb had no answer for Tech forward Jeff Allen early on. After dropping 18 pounds in the off-season, Allen looked especially limber in leading the Hokies in first-half points (17), rebounds (5) and steals (2). However, he would only attempt one shot in the second half.
Greenberg said that Allen, who led the Hokies with nine boards overall, had gotten tired and began cramping.
The Hokies commenced the contest with a 10-2 run culminating in a three pointer by Allen, scoring on each of their opening four possessions.
Tech would cool off for the next three minutes after its blistering start, before emphatic jams by Terrell Bell and Allen – in transition off his own steal – would trigger Cassell Coliseum to explode at the 14:20 mark. Delaney added a three to make it 17-6.
However, Flittner would bounce his team back midway through the first half with five-three pointers, one of which brought Tech's lead down to 24-18. At the half, Tech led 40-24 – with 17 of the Runnin' Bulldogs' points coming off the hot hand of Flittner. Vassallo tied Allen as Tech's leading scorer with 19, while Delaney added 15.
The Hokies next host Mount St. Mary's on Monday at 8 p.m.
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