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Virginia Tech broke a five-game losing streak against North Carolina with a 74-70 win in Cassell Coliseum Thursday. Despite having five players in foul trouble and being cold from behind the arc, Tech was able to work inside against the Tar Heels for 34 points in the paint in victory.

Malcolm Delaney again led all scorers with 21 points and added five assists. He led a blistering opening for the Hokies as they jumped out to a 12-point lead six and a half minutes into the game. However, that lead evaporated by the break and Tech trailed by two at the half.

It took an outstanding shooting effort in the second half to give Tech the victory. The Hokies made 12 of 25 two-point shots to counter North Carolina shooting over 43 percent for the game. Tech also took care of the ball, turning it over only 10 teams compared to Carolina's 19. Those Carolina turnovers led to 17 points for the Hokies.

To me the biggest story of the game was Jeff Allen. He scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had four steals. Welcome back, Jeff. I didn't get to see the game because it was on Raycom. What were your observations on Tech's big win over the Tar Heels?

Links after the jump.

Virginia Tech 74, North Carolina 70

Tech comes through in 'must-win' (Aaron McFarling)
"Nobody has to tell the Hokies how much they need to pile up ACC wins, particularly at home, to compensate for their lackluster nonconference slate. The turnaround for Saturday's game against well-rested Clemson is short and daunting. They couldn't miss this chance."

Tech's four freshmen work together for promising future (Collegiate Times)
"Finding players that can coexist and embrace the mentally taxing challenges of the Atlantic Coast Conference takes incredible foresight and judgment of character. Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg has found the ideal mix this season with freshmen Ben Boggs, Erick Green, Manny Atkins and Cadarian Raines."

Hokies (17-4, 4-3) 74, unc (13-9, 2-5) 70 (Tech Hoops)
"Despite near catastrophic foul trouble midway through the second half, the Virginia Tech Hokies held off and defeated the defending National Champion tar heels 74-70 to remain undefeated at The Cassell this season. Junior guard Malcolm Delaney, the ACC’s leading scorer, paced the Hokies with 21 points. Dorenzo Hudson (Jr.) scored 17 points and Jeff Allen (Jr.) added 14 points. Terrell Bell had a solid game and recorded a career-high 11 rebounds."

Hokies Notch Crucial Win Over Tar Heels (Fight for Old DC)
"Forget the fact that UNC is 13-9 and 2-5 in the ACC. It's still the University of North Carolina and any win over the Tar Heels is a big win for the Hokies. Thursday's 74-70 win marked the first win over UNC in six tries and it moved the Hokies to 4-3 in the ACC. With Clemson coming to town tomorrow, the win provides a chance to move to two games over .500 in the ACC with a win Saturday."

Virginia Tech 74, UNC 70 (Carolina March)
"Well, it wasn't a disaster. And it definitely had the potential to go that way, after a first eight minutes where the Heels went 3 for 13 from the field and fell behind by ten. They fought back though, helped by early foul trouble from Virginia Tech and strong play from John Henson (14 pts), Ed Davis (15) and David Wear (12), and managed to go into the locker room at halftime with the lead for only the second time in conference play."

Looks Like I Picked The Wrong Week To Quit Sniffing Glue (Tar Heel Fan)
"It is funny how all it takes is 21 games of bad basketball to turn a fan base, some of whom might still be getting skin grafts from getting 3rd degree burns on Franklin Street into..well…Wolfpack fans. This is proof positive just how nasty losing can be and how short our memories get as fans. Sports fans are the ultimate "what have you do for me lately" constituency in the world. Some of that is the nature of the beast. One season ends and another one begins."

Around the ACC

ACC fans need to stop whining (From The Rumble Seat)
"Let's crack open an ice cold can of clarity. Perception is one thing. Reality is another. The ACC is more than the win and loss column for Duke and UNC in conference play... North Carolina fans and the big media types may not believe this because the two big NC programs have overshadowed all of the talent and greatness of the conference for the past 20 years. Yes, they are the most important members of our conference due to fan base size, mass appeal, and revenue but the conference is not down just because UNC is struggling to win in the ACC or because Duke has struggled out of conference."

Talent Usage Rating (Yet Another...)
"As you can see, a team simply having the highest average star rating doesn't necessarily mean they have more talent on the floor than the next guy. Florid State's TUR is nearly 2% higher than Carolina's, despite the fact that UNC's roster averages a nearly 4% higher star rating per player. In other words, while FSU's overall talent level on the roster may be behind Carolina's, they put more of their higher-rated players out on the floor for more significant minutes."

The 1-2-1-1 Diamond Press Defense (Shakin The Southland)
"The full court Diamond-and-one defense gets its name from the alignment as seen from above the court. One player stands under the basket, with two players at the corners and another at centercourt to make a diamond shape. The 5th player is the last line of defense in the lane if the press is broken. The difference between the Diamond and the 1-3-1 is really just the position of the guy trying to make the steal."