BLACKSBURG – Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 19 points to lead No. 15 Virginia Tech to an 81-44 nonconference victory South Carolina State on Sunday at Carilion Clinic Court.
The win marked the third straight for the Hokies, who moved to 8-1 overall. South Carolina State fell to 2-9.
Alexander-Walker hit 8 of 11 from the floor, including three 3-pointers for the Hokies (8-1), who survived a cold-shooting start to the game. The Hokies' leading scorer coming in (17.9 ppg), he scored 10 of his points in the first half, with most coming during a 15-minute stretch in which Virginia Tech made just one of its first 10 shots from the floor and three of its first 20.
Tech, though, stayed consistent on defense and made 12 of 15 from the free-throw line until the Hokies could find their shot. They made seven of their final nine in the first half, most of which came on South Carolina State turnovers -- they scored 13 points off 10 Bulldog turnovers -- and then they buried the Bulldogs under an avalanche of 3-pointers at the start of the second half to pull away.
Tech opened the final 20 minutes with a 22-4 run in which it hit six 3-pointers. The spurt ended with two Ty Outlaw 3-pointers from the wing sandwiched around a give-and-go play between Justin Robinson and Kerry Blackshear Jr. that led to a Blackshear layup. The run pushed the Hokies' lead to 56-27, and Virginia Tech cruised.
Robinson finished with 16 points and six assists for the Hokies, who shot 62 percent (18 of 29) in the second half and 48.3 percent (28 of 58) for the game. Blackshear added 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Damani Applewhite led South Carolina State with 10 points. The Bulldogs committed 19 turnovers and shot just 34 percent (18 of 53).
(12/9/2018) 2018 MEN'S BASKETBALL vs. S.C. STATE
QUOTES TO NOTE
Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams
(On the team's slow start)
"I thought the best lesson that we took, particularly in the first half, is all the shots we were missing are primarily all the shots that we make. We were shooting practice shots. We weren't making them, yet we made 12 free throws, which was the most we had attempted in a half. But we were not offensive-sensitive when we were on defense, and I thought the maturity that our group showed … I thought that was the best part of today's game."
(On playing Washington after losing to Penn State in the Hokies' last game away from Carilion Clinic Court)
"Washington will beat us by 25 if we have the same blasé energy that we had at Penn State. I'm hoping that we learned at Penn State and what we've talked about and shown since then relative to that … We'll have an issue or two or four, but we don't want it to be an energy issue."
GAME NOTES
• The Hokies wrapped up their three-game homestand with a third straight blowout win -- all by more than 20 points.
• Four players scored in double figures against South Carolina State, which marked the eighth time this season that at least four Virginia Tech players have done so.
• Tech now has hit at least 10 3-pointers in seven consecutive games.
• Alexander-Walker has scored in double figures in every game this season.
• Blackshear's double-double marked his first of the season and the fifth of his career.
• Robinson now has recorded at least six assists in six games this season.
UP NEXT
The Hokies take on Washington on Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as part of the Boardwalk Classic. The game tips at 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNU.