Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG — Jason Edwards scored 19 points, MJ Collins Jr. added 15 and Vanderbilt cruised to an 80-64 victory over Virginia Tech on Wednesday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge inside Cassell Coliseum.
Edwards and Collins Jr. were a combined 10-of-22 shooting from the floor and each made three of Vanderbilt's nine 3-pointers. The Commodores shot above 50% in each half and finished 29 of 55 (53%) overall.
Vanderbilt (8-1) also scored 28 points off 15 turnovers. The Commodores have forced double-digit turnovers in 8 of 9 games and 15-plus turnovers seven times.
Jaden Schutt scored 15 points from five 3s to lead Virginia Tech (3-5). Mylyjael Poteat added 14 points and Ben Burnham had a season-high 10.
Tech trailed by seven points early in the second half before Brandon Rechsteiner scored five straight points and Tyler Johnson added a dunk and layup to cut the deficit to 45-43 with 15:41 remaining. Vanderbilt scored the next nine points and the Hokies didn't get closer.
Edwards' 3-pointer stretched the Commodores' lead to 74-60 with about four minutes left.
Collins made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points to help Vanderbilt build a 39-34 advantage at the break. Poteat scored 12 first-half points for the Hokies.
The Hokies have lost eight in a row to current SEC members, with their last win at Ole Miss, 83-80 in overtime, on Dec. 2, 2017.
The meeting was the eighth all-time between Tech and Vandy, with six of the previous seven games coming between 1961 and 1977.
Tech opens ACC play Saturday, Dec. 7 against 18th-ranked Pitt, which is coming off a 90-57 loss at Mississippi State in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. from Cassell Coliseum, and the game will be televised on ESPNU.