Tech clinches 1st-round bye
Posted Feb24, 2007 at 03:49 PM
Mark Berman back here in Blacksburg, where the Virginia Tech men's basketball team ran away from Miami, 73-57.
The Hokies (20-8, 10-4) clinched a first-round bye in the ACC tournament.
"That's another day of rest, another day to prepare," said Zabian Dowdell, who had 20 points and eight rebounds. "That's definitely something we look forward to taking advantage of."
Tech also clinched its first 20-win season since 1995-96, the last time it made the NCAA tournament.
"I'm happy for these kids," Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "I'm proud of them. ... They've done something that people didn't think they were capable of doing."
The final score Saturday would have been even more lopsided had Tech not missed 11 free throws. The Hokies had five blocks and eight steals, and outrebounded Miami 36-34.
"When we get on the glass, ain't too many teams that can beat us," Jamon Gordon said.
"Everybody on their whole team crashed the boards," Miami's Dwayne Collins said.
The game featured more fun dunks by Deron Washington, and a nifty between-the-legs pass by Dowdell.
Tech shot just 39.4 percent from the field in the first half but 68.8 percent in the second half.
"We ran a different offense [in the second half] .. . to get people moving more instead of just standing around, to get some easy penetration," said Washington, who had 12 points. "The zone they ran, I don't think we [were] well-prepared for that. The offense we [were] running was real slow."
"In the first half, we were settling for jump shots," Dowdell said. "In the second half we did a good job of attacking."
Coleman Collins had 10 of his 15 points in the first half. Greenberg didn't play him for the first eight minutes of the second half, opting for Cheick Diakite after Diakite grabbed six rebounds in the first half.
Greenberg praised Diakite and fellow backups Nigel Munson and Chris Tucker, even though none of them scored.
"A pivotal point in that game was Chris Tucker, Cheick and Nigel at the end of the first half," Greenberg said. "They gave us a determination and a focus to get the thing tied back up at the end of the half. .... Cheick gave us great, great energy. He was active around the basket, he rebounded the ball, he gave us a physical presence.
"Chris Tucker gave us very good minutes and that's something I've got to look at."
A.D. Vassallo had 11 points, starting instead of Lewis Witcher for the third time in the last five games.
Gordon had 13 points despite getting poked in the left eye.
"I thought I was going blind," he said.
Miami shot 30 percent in the second half.
"Hands above the ball is a phrase we use when we're guarding shooters," Greenberg said.
Comments
[February 24, 2007 7:46 PM]
M. PiggyOh, Kermee. Looks like the Hokies made a real "Rainbow Connection" today. And by that I mean they clinched a first-round bye.