Through five games this year we've learned the Hokies don't have to be the most disciplined team to come away with a victory. They just have to be less undisciplined than the team they're playing.
That's what happened Friday when Virginia Tech outscored Oklahoma State 18-6 over the final six minutes of the game to advance to the championship game of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif. It wasn't a game either side will be bragging about any time soon.
Neither team shot higher than 35 percent from the field, 25 percent from behind the arc nor 70 percent from the line. Both had more turnovers than assists. Both had players ejected or assessed intentional fouls for elbows. It wasn't pretty basketball, but in the end the Hokies got to the line more often than the Cowboys and Malcolm Delaney made them when it mattered.
The Hokies will play for the 76 Classic championship at 9 p.m. EST against either Murray State or UNLV. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Postgame Stream of Consciousness
- The Hokies never had an answer down low for OSU's Marshall Moses, who finished the game with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Fortunately for Tech, Moses was inconsistent and finished the game 6-for-16 from the floor.
- Tech's big men were again in foul trouble as Jeff Allen and Victor Davila both picked up four fouls. Even Cadarian Raines, who made his Hokies debut after missing the first four games while recovering from fractured foot, managed to pick up four fouls in eight minutes.
- Jarell Eddie, who may have been Tech's best jump shooter through the first four games, finished 0-5 from the field, 0-3 from three and 0-2 at the line. He did collect five rebounds, though.
- The Hokies settled for jump shots throughout the entire game. It was frustrating watching them chuck up threes and deep twos when no one seemed capable of throwing the ball in the ocean.
- Tech seems to have the mentality that if they're going to win it has to be ugly. I'm not sure this is the case. Through the first 10 minutes the Hokies and Cowboys played very good basketball and the Hokies led 22-18. However, things went downhill quickly for both teams.
- The positive the Hokies can take from this game is that they won when they weren't shooting well. Delaney found a way to get to the line and they found a way to survive and advance. The Hokies stayed mentally tough in the second half when things weren't going well and didn't let the Cowboys pull away. It was the exact opposite of what happened in Manhattan.
- Be sure to check Cowboys Ride for Free for the OSU take on the game.