BLACKSBURG – In its second home outing of the year, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team got it done against VMI, 64-57, on Thursday night inside Cassell Coliseum to improve to 4-0 on the season.
Tech has now won 34 consecutive nonconference home contests, which is one of the longest active streaks in the country.
The Hokies (4-0) edged past the Keydets (2-2) for their ninth straight win versus VMI. Mike Young is now a perfect 11-0 against VMI head coach Dan Earl.
Forward Keve Aluma shined as he notched his first double-double of the season with a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Tyrece Radford added 13 points and six rebounds and graduate student Wabissa Bede registered 11. Forward Justyn Mutts had a near double-double with 10 points and nine boards.
Tech grabbed a season-high 48 rebounds and a season-high 15 offensive rebounds and the Hokies scored 20 second-chance points off those rebounds.
On the defensive end, Tech held VMI to 36% shooting from the field and 29% from behind the arc. The Hokies forced the Keydets to commit nine turnovers and Tech scored 13 points off those errors.
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With just over 5 minutes left in the half, tied at 16-16 redshirt-sophomore Tyrece Radford nailed a jumper followed by a lay-in by forward Keve Aluma to give Tech a slight 20-16 edge. Guard Jalen Cone continued the run by coming out of the timeout and drilling the triple followed by a 3-pointer of his own from Radford giving Tech a 26-18 lead. The Hokies held strong and closed out the half with a 30-23 advantage.
The Hokies and Keydets traded the lead back and forth for a large portion of the second half and with just over seven minutes left in the game were tied at 45-45. Guard Bede hit a jumper and Radford finished off the old fashioned three-point play to give Tech the 50-45 advantage. These two key buckets would be a part of a crucial 10-2 run which would prove to be too much for the Keydets as Tech went on to win 64-57.
GAME NOTES
- Redshirt-junior Mutts dished out a season-high six assists and tied his season high in rebounds with nine, with 10 points for an almost double-double.
- Tech grabbed a season-high 15 offensive rebounds which is only the second time it's happened in the Mike Young era (19 vs. UMES 12/29/19).
- Guard Bede recorded a season-high 11 points and also grabbed a season-high four rebounds.
- Guard Radford scored in double figures for the third time this season and for the second straight outing.
UP NEXT
The Hokies will go up against Penn State in Blacksburg for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET inside Cassell Coliseum.
Gallery: (12-3-2020) 2020 MEN'S BASKETBALL VS. VMI