BLACKSBURG – After Mike Young stepped on the floor for the 600th time in his head coaching career on Monday night, an impressive 40-minute display of defense from Virginia Tech followed.
The Hokies (3-0, 0-0 ACC) defeated Radford (1-2, 0-0 Big South), 65-39, led by a 17-point performance by Storm Murphy.
MIKE YOUNG'S BIG NIGHT
- Young earned his 333rd career win in his 600th game as head coach. His record at Tech improved to 34-23, including 24-8 inside Cassell Coliseum.
- The opponent on Monday night was fitting, as Young is a Radford High School graduate. On the opposing bench sat Radford head coach Darris Nichols and assistant coach Shane Nichols. Both were former assistants under Young at Wofford and graduated from Radford High.
DEFENSE WINS GAMES
- Radford's 39 points scored stand as the second lowest tally a team has recorded against the Hokies under Mike Young (UMES in 2019, 37).
- The Highlander's .280 field-goal percentage is lowest by a Tech opponent since Wake Forest on Feb. 2, 2021 (.273), and Radford's .083 three-point percentage is the lowest by the Hokies' opposition since NC State on Feb. 2, 2019 (.071).
A STORM IS BREWIN'
- Murphy's offensive production has increased through each of his three games with the Hokies, capped off by a season-high 17 points against the Highlanders.
- The graduate transfer from Wofford shot 6-7 from the field, including 4-5 from beyond the arc, moving his field-goal percentage to .522 this season.
CATTOOR GETS IT DONE
- Hunter Cattoor registered led the team with career-high nine rebounds on Monday.
- This outing follows his career-high 19-point scoring night against Navy on Nov. 12. Cattoor is also tied with Naheim Alleyne for the most assists through three games with 10.