Blacksburg, VA – Virginia Tech got a big game from star guard Malcolm Delaney and played great team defense in a 74-62 win over Georgia in Blacksburg on Sunday. The Hokies are now 6-1 on the season heading into Wednesday’s game with VMI. Georgia dropped to 4-3.
The Hokies had a solid offensive game, shooting 25-of-53 (47.2%) from the field and 6-of-14 (42.9%) from three-point range. Tech also went 18-of-19 (94.7%) from the free throw line, with the only miss coming on the first attempt of the game by Malcolm Delaney. Overall, it was Tech’s best offensive effort of the season when it comes to shooting the basketball.
Georgia had a big advantage on the inside, with much bigger frontcourt players than Virginia Tech. However, the scrappy Hokies managed to outrebound the Bulldogs 33-25. Tech pulled down 13 offensive rebounds.
Sophomore forward Victor Davila played his best overall game in a Tech uniform, finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds. Davila pulled down five offensive rebounds and competed very well against Georgia’s big frontline.
Virginia Tech held Georgia to just 62 points, and they shut down the Bulldogs’ best player. Trey Thompkins, a post player, came into the game averaging over 15 points, but the Hokies held him to just five points. All of his points came from the free throw line. Thompkins was 0-of-6 from the field and had only four rebounds.
Malcolm Delaney paced the Hokies with 31 points. He also had five rebounds and five assists. Delaney was 10-of-19 from the field, 2-of-7 from three-point range and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. He consistently got the ball in the lane, and finished on a number of very difficult buckets over Georgia’s tall frontcourt.
Jeff Allen came off the bench for the second straight game and scored 11 points with six rebounds. Allen played just 20 minutes because he was once again in foul trouble, but he was very productive for the Hokies while he was on the court.
Dorenzo Hudson added eight points, five assists and three rebounds for Tech. Ben Boggs came off the bench to score six points for the second consecutive game, hitting both of his three-point attempts. Boggs played 16 minutes, and appears to be developing into a solid contributor.
True freshman power forward Cadarian Raines saw his first action of the season after coming back from a fractured foot. He played two minutes and had one rebound, while missing his only shot attempt.
This game was tied on four different occasions in the first 12 minutes, though Georgia could never manage to take the lead. A layup by Travis Leslie tied the game at 18 with 7:59 remaining in the first half, but the Hokies then went on a big run and established dominance throughout the remainder of the first half.
Dorenzo Hudson got the run started when he beat Georgia up the court following Leslie’s basket. Malcolm Delaney spotted him, and the former high school quarterback hit Hudson with a deep ball for the easy layup before the Bulldogs could get back on defense. Hudson’s layup sparked a 10-0 Tech run that ended with a Delaney layup on a fastbreak that put the Hokies up 28-18 with 4:09 left in the half.
The Hokies ended the half in strong fashion, with three-pointers from Jeff Allen and Delaney. Delaney’s three was a buzzer-beater from the right corner, and it put Virginia Tech up 36-27 heading into the halftime intermission.
Delaney got Tech off to a strong start in the second half, scoring nine of his team’s first 11 points. Dorenzo Hudson chipped in with the other two, getting a steal near halfcourt and breaking away for the two-handed dunk. Two Delaney free throws with 16:10 remaining put Tech up 47-33, and the Hokies were able to keep Georgia at arms length for the rest of the game.
Virginia Tech led by as many as 15 points down the stretch, and Georgia was never able to get within six points.
The Hokies return to action on Wednesday night when they host VMI and their high-powered offense. VMI is averaging 95.1 points per game, and they have scored over 100 points in three of their seven games. However, they are allowing an average of 98.7 points per game, so it should be a very entertaining game in Cassell Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm.
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