On Saturday afternoon, the Virginia Tech Hokies fought in a battle against the NC State Wolfpack. Tied at the end of the end of regulation, Shane Henry blocked a drive to the bucket by Cat Barber, sending the game to overtime. Virginia Tech won that game, giving them a rare 1-0 start to ACC play.
On Monday night, after Shane Henry blocked another shot near the end of regulation against a drive by London Perrantes, the Virginia Tech Hokies grabbed their biggest win under the Buzz Williams era, 70-68 from Blacksburg - Virginia.
Youngsters Come Alive For Va. Tech
In the game against North Carolina State, it was the key contributions from Kerry Blackshear Jr. off of the bench that pushed Virginia Tech over the top. Tonight, the freshman put in another tremendous performance, scoring a key and-one layup that put the Hokies up 64-56 with 2 and a half minutes left. Freshman Justin Robinson followed that up with a key jumper, as Virginia Tech used some true moxy to prevail in this game.
However, the big story in this game was young Zach LeDay, scoring 22 points to lead the Hokies in scoring. The rookie big man was on a mission, pounding the Cavaliers' pack-line defense over and over. LeDay had been criticized for his lack of effort in games early in the season, but he has changed everyone's tune in VT's opening two games of ACC play.
Hokies Play Quality Defense
The Virginia Cavaliers are known for their calm, cool-headed mindset. Tony Bennett rarely sees his team play sloppy. Tonight, Virginia Tech sent UVA into fits with some strong defense, as the Cavs turned over the ball 16 times. Virginia Tech converted that into a whopping 26 points. UVA's best performer was London Perrantes, as the sharpshooter went off from beyond the parabola for 7 three-pointers. He led the Cavaliers with 22 points, and led a comeback near the end of the game. However, Virginia Tech did well clogging up the lanes, not allowing consistent drives by Malcolm Brogdon. Anthony Gill was arguably UVA's best player, going 7-9 down low with 17 points and 8 rebounds. However, Zach LeDay simply got the better of his counterpart in the paint, as Virginia Tech held on.
At the end of the game, Shane Henry made the massive play to seal the Virginia Tech win. Zach LeDay was officially credited with the block, but the stopping of Perrantes was mostly Henry's work. Although Henry is not as talented as the younger kids in Buzz Williams's team, he's got more heart than many players in the nation. Here sheer effort pushed his team over the top. That is the type of basketball that Buzz Williams loves.
Justin Bibbs Gets Hot, While Seth Allen Provides Calm Nature For Old VPI
After going scoreless against NC State, Justin Bibbs, one of the nation's best three-point shooters, got back on track against the Hokies' arch rival, drilling 4 treys and ending with 16 points. Him getting hot was extremely important in Buzz Williams's game plan, and he did just that. Seth Allen, former Maryland transfer who had many key games against the Cavaliers for the Terrapins, was very level-headed for the Hokies tonight. Although the veteran was 4-11 from the field, he hit some late free throws and kept up a fine pace tonight. When Va. Tech fell behind tonight, Allen willed his team back into it.
Program-Changing Win For Virginia Tech
This was the first win against Virginia in Blacksburg for the Hokies since 2010. Despite a shaky start to the season, including a stunning loss to Alabama State, the Hokies now have a swagger that has not been seen in Blacksburg for many years. To think that this corp is made up of so many youngsters is truly remarkable, as Buzz Williams has designed a formidable program in just two years.
With such a young team, it is likely the Hokies will have some bumps in the road this season, and an NCAA Tournament bid is still unlikely. However, it is clear that the culture has changed for the Fighting Gobblers. An NIT bid for Va. Tech seems right in reach as Buzz Williams's system he carried over from Marquette has performed perfectly.
Next Up
Virginia Tech now awaits arguably their biggest test of the season, going down to Cameron Indoor to take on the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. Virginia will wipe off this messy game and head to Atlanta for a battle against Georgia Tech.