BLACKSBURG – Led by the incredible play of Justin Robinson and outstanding play on defense, No. 10 Virginia Tech registered a 78-56 ACC victory over Syracuse on Saturday night at Carilion Clinic Court.
With the win, the Hokies – who had lost nine of their previous 10 matchups with the Orange – moved to 16-3 overall, 5-2 in the ACC. Syracuse fell to 14-6 overall, 5-2 in league play.
Robinson, a senior from Manassas, Virginia, enjoyed the best game of his career, scoring a career-high 35 points and setting a Virginia Tech single-game record with nine 3-pointers. He went 9 of 13 from the floor – all 3-pointers – and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line.
Robinson also dished out eight assists, and in doing so, he became the school's all-time leader in career assists. Robinson broke the former record of 547 assists set by Bimbo Coles during a career that spanned from 1986-90.
Tech jumped out to the lead right from the opening tip and never trailed, playing a near-perfect first half in which the Hokies shot 53.8 percent from the floor and held Syracuse to just 33.3 percent. They carved up Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense, as 10 of their 14 baskets were 3-pointers. Tech led by as many as 22 in the first half and led 43-24 at halftime.
No one was hotter from the floor than Robinson. He scored 24 points in the first half, hitting 7 of 8 from beyond the 3-point arc. The seven 3's combined with three free throws enabled him to equal the scoring output of Syracuse's team in the first half.
Syracuse cut the lead to eight, 43-35, after scoring the first 11 points of the second half. But the Hokies went on a 14-1 run and never looked back. Continuing their outstanding defense in the second 20 minutes, Tech held the Orange without a field goal for more than seven minutes during that run.
The Hokies held Syracuse to just 36.4 percent shooting for the game and out-rebounded the Orange 31-26.
Tech finished at 52.1 percent from the floor, and in an amazing show of efficiency, assisting on 23 of 25 field goals. Ahmed Hill added 16 points for the Hokies.
(1/26/2019) 2019 MEN'S BASKETBALL vs. SYRACUSE
QUOTES TO NOTE
Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams
(On the Hokies' defensive effort)
"I think our staff does an incredible job of trying to filter through and sift through and boil down what the most important things are in order to have a chance to win, and I think our team has continued to morph into a mature, smart team. We don't always execute it, but I thought tonight's execution on both ends relative to what the staff had set in place, thus far this season, was as good as it's been."
(On having a senior leader like Justin Robinson)
"I thought the unselfishness of the team showed, and obviously 5 [Robinson] was playing incredibly well. But I would say that seven of the nine baskets that he made were assisted."
(On the character of bouncing back from the UNC loss)
"This is the hardest league in the country with the thinnest margin. It's hard to win a game. It doesn't matter the opponent. North Carolina beat us start to finish. Virginia beat us from start to finish. So any win, for sure, is a good win."
Virginia Tech point guard Justin Robinson
(On at what point in the first half did he realize that this would be his night)
"I mean, everything was just falling, to be honest. When I hit back-to-back 3's and then things just start clicking from there. I knew they were going to try to take me away in the second half and I knew I had to open things up for my teammates. I think just not settling for shots and letting the offense come to me really helped us tonight."
(On breaking Ty Outlaw's single-game 3-point record)
"Breaking the record of the best shooter in the ACC – and he's on our team – it's kind of a cool feeling. He was jiving me when I got back to the locker room. He tried to tell me that I only had seven. It's kind of cool to see how close we are and our teammate chemistry and just overall how everything is flowing with us. It's just a blessing to break records like that. I'm happy I could do it here [at Virginia Tech] and be a part of it."
(On becoming the school's all-time assists leader)
"It's a blessing. I appreciate my teammates, past and current, for all that. Just Buzz and the coaching staff trusting me and giving me the ball right away and letting me play through mistakes and play through the good things throughout my career is something that I'll be extremely grateful for."
GAME NOTES
• The Hokies moved to 11-0 at home this season.
• Robinson's nine 3-pointers surpassed his previous career high of five set against The Citadel in 2017.
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker set a career high with eight assists. He dished out seven assists in Tech's win over Northeastern earlier this season.
• For the 13th time this season, Tech hit at least 10 3-pointers in a game. The Hokies are 11-2 in games in which they hit at least 10 3-pointers.
• Tech's 23 assists tied for its most ever in an ACC game. The Hokies handed out 23 assists in a win over Wake Forest in 2011.
• Tech's 23 assists were its second-most assists in a game this season. The Hokies had 28 assists in their win over Central Connecticut State.
• Tech out-rebounded its opponent for the 11th time this season – and the Hokies are 11-0 in such games.
UP NEXT
The Hokies return to action Wednesday when they take on Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN2.