DURHAM, N.C. -- Virginia Tech carried a lead into the break, but ultimately fell, 76-65, to No. 2 Duke on Wednesday night in ACC men's basketball action from Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Hokies (8-5, 0-2 ACC) had three players score in double figures, led by Keve Aluma, who had a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Justyn Mutts tacked on 20 points and nine rebounds, and Hunter Cattoor chipped in 10 points.
Virginia Tech utilized fantastic ball movement in Wednesday's game, piling up 16 assists on 26 made field goals. Individually, Storm Murphy was on top of the distribution list for the Hokies with four assists.
How It Happened
After falling behind 13-4, Virginia Tech went on a 9-0 run with 16:07 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Aluma, to tie the game at 13. The Hokies then proceeded to grab a 36-32 lead heading into halftime. Virginia Tech took advantage of seven offensive rebounds to score six second chance points out of 36 total in the period
The Blue Devils (11-1, 1-0 ACC) used a 13-0 run during the early stages of the second half to erase their halftime deficit. Duke proceeded to take a 65-52 lead before Tech went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Aluma's layup, to shrink the deficit to 65-58 with 5:32 to go in the contest. Duke responded and outscored the Hokies the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 76-65. Virginia Tech took care of business in the paint, recording 20 of its 29 points in the lane.
Game Notes
» Keve Aluma notched an impressive double-double for the Hokies with 25 points and 10 rebounds - his third of the season.
» The Hokies shared the ball well, recording an assist on 62 percent of made field goals.
» Keve Aluma, Justyn Mutts, and Hunter Cattoor combined to account for 85 percent of the Hokies points.
» Virginia Tech cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Aluma's 25 points was the highest single-game tally for a Virginia Tech player this season.
» Virginia Tech got a game-high 10 rebounds from Keve Aluma.Gallery: (12-22-2021) MBB: Virginia Tech at Duke