Lexington, VA -- On a day when their football counterparts won the ACC football championship, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team suffered an embarrassing loss to VMI, falling by 4 to the Keydets on the road. VMI led by one at half time, extended the lead to as many as nine points in the second half, and held on down the stretch for the win.

The key to game was 13-of-28 shooting from three-point range by the Keydets, who banged down 7-of-15 from beyond the arc in the first half and 6-of-13 in the second half. VMI's perimeter shooting helped them overcome a 6-point Hokie lead (18-12) in the first half and pull ahead during the second half, when they took their biggest lead at 66-57 with 3:27 to go.

The Hokies had their chances to come back in the second half, most notably during a stretch of 4:23 towards the end of the game during which VMI went scoreless. After the Keydets took a 63-55 lead on a 3-pointer by Matt Coward with 7:50 to go, VMI went cold for a long stretch. Zabian Dowdell hit a jumper with 7:36 remaining that trimmed the lead to 63-57, but the Hokies could get no closer. Over the next four minutes, Tech missed six straight shots, including four 3-pointers, wasting a steal and two offensive rebounds in the process.

VMI finally scored again, getting a 3-pointer from Levar Joseph with 3:27 to go to extend their lead to 66-57. That did the Hokies in. The Hokies clawed back to 66-63 on a 3-pointer by Chris Tucker with 37 seconds to go, but VMI made 6 of 10 free throws down the stretch, just enough to keep them ahead of VT for the four-point win.

The Keydets had lost to ODU by 48 in their last outing. The win marked VMI's first victory over an ACC team in 40 years (Virginia, 1964). The Hokies were led in scoring and rebounding by freshman Deron Washington, who had 15 points and 9 boards. Tech shot just 5-of-19 from three-point range.

With the loss, the Hokies fall to 4-1, and VMI improves to 3-1. The Hokies will try to regroup against St. John's on the road Wednesday, at 7:30. The game will not be televised.

VIRGINIA TECH (68)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
D Washington        38   5-9   4-4   4-9   0   1   15
C Collins           16   1-4   0-0   1-3   1   0    2
Z Dowdell           31  5-11   1-1   2-6   4   4   13
J Gordon            33  5-13   2-4   0-6   1   5   12
C Dixon             28  4-10   4-6   4-6   0   1   13
S Harris             3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   2    0
W Witherspoon        4   0-0   0-0   0-2   0   1    0
R Krabbendam         3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
M Cooke             21   2-9   0-0   0-2   2   2    4
A Calloway          14   2-3   1-2   2-3   0   3    5
C Tucker             9   1-2   1-2   2-3   0   1    4
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             200 25-63 13-19 15-40   8  20   68
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.397, FT-.684.

3-Point Goals: 5-19, .263 (D Washington 1-1, Z Dowdell 2-5, 
J Gordon 0-2, C Dixon 1-3, M Cooke 0-6, C Tucker 1-2).

Team Rebounds: 41.

Blocked Shots: 5 (J Gordon 2, D Washington 2, C Dixon).

Turnovers: 14 (Z Dowdell 6, C Dixon 3, D Washington 2, A Calloway,
J Gordon, M Cooke).

Steals: 10 (Z Dowdell 4, A Calloway 2, M Cooke 2, J Gordon, D Washington).


VMI (72)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
R Williams          33  5-12   3-4   1-4   3   0   16
S Mielnik            9   2-5   0-0   2-4   0   4    4
T Mankevicius       18   0-1   0-0   0-3   1   1    0
M Coward            37   5-8   1-2   0-2   8   3   15
L Joseph            24  5-13   5-8   0-1   1   1   19
F Robinson          16   2-7   0-0   0-0   1   1    5
S Christiansen       3   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
P Beverly           29   0-5   3-4  8-11   1   3    3
M Murrer             7   1-3   0-0   0-2   1   1    3
C Ezekwe             1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
J Jarman             1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
T Allmond           22   2-2   3-4   0-4   1   3    7
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             200 22-56 15-22 11-31  17  17   72
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.393, FT-.682.

3-Point Goals: 13-28, .464 (R Williams 3-8, M Coward 4-5, L 
Joseph 4-9, F Robinson 1-4, M Murrer 1-2). 

Team Rebounds: 41.

Blocked Shots:  0.  

Turnovers: 18 (M Coward 5, P Beverly 3, R Williams 3, L Joseph 2,
S Mielnik, S Christiansen, F Robinson, M Murrer, T Mankevicius).

Steals: 8 (M Coward 4, L Joseph 2, M Murrer, R Williams).


-----------------------------------
VIRGINIA TECH        34  34   -  68
VMI                  35  37   -  72
----------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: None. A: 3,120. Officials: Duke 
Edsall, Mike Eades, Tim Nestor

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