Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG — Dorenzo Hudson scored 19 of his career-high 24 points, Jeff Allen added 24 points and Virginia Tech tied a school record with 15 blocked shots, as the Hokies downed VMI 98-73 in a non-conference game at Cassell Coliseum on Wednesday night.
The win was the Hokies’ fourth straight, as they moved to 7-1 overall on the season VMI fell to 4-4.
Tech, which led by seven at halftime, opened the second half with a 10-0 run that ended up becoming a 17-6 run. Allen – who came off the bench for the third straight game – scored eight during that run for the Hokies and scored 18 of his 24 in the second half.
“In the beginning of the second half, our mantra was to pound that thing inside,” Tech head coach Seth Greenberg said. “We did a great job of that and shot nothing but lay-ups. To me, Jeff was one of the more encouraging things that came out of the game. He was consistent in his effort, he attacked the basket and he finished. I was pleased with his effort.”
Allen hit 10-of-13 from the floor and grabbed 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and the 21st of his career. The Hokies out-rebounded the Keydets 59-36, including 27 offensive, and held them to 37.1 percent from the floor (26-of-70).
“The difference in the game was 27 offensive rebounds,” VMI coach Duggar Baucom said. “I told our guys that their offense was going to start when they shoot it and it really does. When they put it up on the glass, they’ve got the guys to go get it.”
Tech’s 15 blocked shots tied a mark set originally by the 1993-94 squad, which blocked 15 in a game against Coastal Carolina on Dec. 4, 1993.
“Teams in our league, if they get out and crowd us, we can finish at the rim,” Baucom said. “We like 3’s, but we love lay-ups. But when you go in there and try to finish against those ACC guys, it’s a little different beast. They did a great job of contesting shots.”
Hudson, whose previous career high was 15, hit 10-of-18 from the floor and added seven rebounds – all on the offensive end.
“I was just running the floor hard,” Hudson said. “Once we secured the rebound, I ran the floor, and when Malcolm [Delaney] got me the ball, I just attacked the rim.”
“We had no answer for him,” Baucom said of Hudson. “He had a great game.”
Malcolm Delaney, the ACC’s leading scorer coming into the game at 22.6 points per game, finished with just nine points for Tech. He hit 3-of-14 from the floor. As a team, Tech shot 45.2 percent, but 52.6 percent in the second half.
Austin Kenon paced the Keydets (4-4) with 26 points. Ron Burks finished with 19. Keith Gabriel came into the game averaging 21 a game for VMI, but scored just two points and hit only 1-of-12 from the floor.
The Hokies now hit the road for the next game, traveling to State College, Pa., for a non-conference game with Penn State. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.