SAN JOSE, Calif. – After jumping out to a 22-point halftime lead, the fourth-seeded Virginia Tech men's basketball team would go on to win 66-52 over 13th-seeded Saint Louis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's East Region at the SAP Center on Friday night.
Tech (25-8) tied the school record for the most wins in a season with 25, tying the 1994-95 and 2009-10 seasons. The 18 first-half points allowed by Tech were the fewest given up in school history in an NCAA Tournament game, topping the previous best of 19 versus Wisconsin-Green Bay in 1996.
In his return, senior Justin Robinson played a pivotal role in getting the Hokies their first win in The Dance since 2007, tallying 9 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Tech will take on 12th-seeded Liberty (29-6) on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 7:10 p.m. ET. It marks the first time the Southwest Virginia showdown has taken place in the tourney.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Things were back and forth heading into the first media timeout, with the Hokies owning a 9-6 lead. But it would be all Tech over the next 10 minutes, as it went on a 25-6 run behind 19 of those points coming from layups (14), free throws (3) and a Kerry Blackshear Jr. baby hook (2).
With a 40-18 halftime deficit, the Billikens (23-13) came out swinging out of the locker rooms, scoring the game's first eight points of the second half to cut it to 14, 40-26. But Tech answered with a corner 3-pointer and two free throws by Nickeil Alexander-Walker to calm an uneasy start.
However, Saint Louis had one more serious run in them, cutting it to a 10-point game at the 10:22 mark. Robinson, on the next possession, would attack the rim and get fouled on the way up, making both free throws. The Billikens answered with a layup, but the Hokies got four made free throws to stretch their lead back to 14.
Despite not making a field goal the last seven minutes of the game, Tech got it done at the charity stripe, making seven free throws to preserve the win.
QUOTING HEAD COACH BUZZ WILLIAMS
On getting his first NCAA Tournament win at Tech:
"I think what we've done speaks to the character of the parents of these kids," Tech coach Buzz Williams said. "I think what we've done speaks to the character of our staff and their work ability, work ethic ability.
"But I also think that it's not just this group, I think it's all of the staff members and all of the players that have been a part of the program from the very beginning. I don't think in any organization, whether it's athletics or not, that you lose because of one reason or you win because of one person. I think it's everybody pulling in the same direction. The support of our administration, the support of our community, all of those things are big pieces to the puzzle."
On his assessment of how guard Justin Robinson played in his return:
"It's hard for me to quantify the peace that I have when 5's (Justin Robinson) on the floor," Williams said. "Statistically I thought he was okay. But when the ball is in his hand, I feel like he's going to make the right decision for Virginia Tech.
"I didn't go into the game, like I said yesterday, having, you know, at this moment in time he'll play and he can play this long. We wanted to do whatever we could to win the game, and how was it that he could help us win the game, and I think he was a big part of that."
STAT OF THE GAME
- Tech won the game at the free-throw line, hitting 22 of 27 for an 81.5 percentage. With only hitting four made field goals in the second half, it had to execute at the line and did by making 17 after intermission. It was the fourth time Tech had made at least 20 freebies this season.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Virginia Tech. Sharpie.
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 23, 2019
We beat Saint Louis 66-52 for our first #NCAATournament win since '07 ✊#getBETTER | #Hokies 🦃
CC: @SethDavisHoops pic.twitter.com/I6R2odrvnG
NOTES
- Alexander-Walker finished with a game-high 20 points, six rebounds, one assist and three steals. It was his 12th 20-point game and he's now done it in three of his last four games.
- Ty Outlaw grabbed a team-high seven boards, marking his ninth time this season of owning seven or more. The grad student also added seven points, including a 3-pointer and two free throws.
- For the fourth time this season, Tech forced 18 or more turnovers. The 18 Billikens' turnovers were the most by a Tech opponent since it caused 18 Georgia Tech miscues on Jan. 9.
- The Hokies had a plus-12 mark in the points off turnovers category, winning the battle 25-13. They also won the battle off the bench, holding Saint Louis to zero points from its reserves while scoring 13 bench points.
Gallery: (3/22/2019) 2019 MEN'S BASKETBALL NCAA TOURNAMENT