Virginia Tech lost to Maryland on Saturday in the Comcast Center by a final score of 83-73. VT never really challenged in this game as it felt like they were usually down by at least 6 points. They got within 3 points of the Terrapins in the 2nd half, but that lead was immediately blown back up to 10 points. The difference in this game came down to free throw shooting as Maryland hit 24 of 26 from the line, whereas Tech only hit 13 of 21. The Hokies committed 24 personal fouls as opposed to just 16 for Maryland, and although the officiating was pretty lousy, you can blame this loss on a lackluster defensive effort from VT. The Terps were getting open looks from everywhere on the floor, and it didn't matter what defensive alignment Seth Greenberg tried out. Some might argue that the Hokies had "success" when they switched to the 1-3-1 zone, but I would argue that Maryland just went cold during that spell since they were still getting wide open looks from the 3-point arc. Greivis Vasquez usually has a tough time against the Hokies, but he spurned that tradition on Saturday going 7-13 from the field and 3-5 on his 3-point shots. The guy that hurt the Hokies the most was Landon Milbourne, who seemed to do whatever he wanted last night. He hit 8 of 11 shots, he grabbed 6 rebounds (2 offensive), he hit 6 of 6 free throws, he had a steal, and he even hit his only 3-point attempt.
The only Hokie to play with any sense of urgency was Lewis Witcher, who hadn't seen much time from Seth Greenberg in recent games, but might be becoming more of a contributor over Victor Davila, who has some offensive skill but doesn't seem ready for the ACC on the defense end of the floor. Witcher took advantage of his opportunity, going 4-5 from the floor and displaying some excellent post moves and solid defense. He does need to get on the glass more though, as he only picked up one rebound in 20 minutes of play. Terrell Bell also had a good game off of the bench and continues to show Seth Greenberg that he can be a trusted member of the rotation. Terrell hit 2 of 3 shots, going 1-2 on three point attempts, and even better than that... he pulled down 6 rebounds in 11 minutes of play. 4 of those rebounds were on the offensive end allowing VT to get second-chance points. The Big 3 were extremely quiet last night as Maryland really seemed to clamp down on them defensively.
This loss was a big disappointment as Virginia Tech is clearly a more talented team than Maryland. VT has better size, better athleticism, and better fans, but none of that mattered last night. There had been a lot of buzz around the University of Maryland about Gary Williams being fired, and ultimately I think that is what inspired the Terps to this victory. They were playing hard for their coach, who has shown he was capable of winning a national championship in the past. The Hokies needed to come into that game with the same fire and drive that the Maryland players were showing, but that did not happen. Not even close. And once again, Jeff Allen showed that he is extremely immature in spite of his advanced age (the guy is 21 years old as a sophomore). Allen flicked off the Maryland crowd after he fouled out of the game late in the second half. He will most likely receive some sort of punishment from Seth Greenberg since it was caught on camera... possibly suspension for a full game, but most likely he will receive a punishment similar to the one Vassallo got for openly yelling at the coach. This means Allen won't start against UVA on Wednesday and probably won't come into the game until around 12 minute mark. Jeff's mantra this week should be, "I guess I've got some growing up to do."
This nauseating loss to Maryland now turns our game against UVA into a must-win. We can ill-afford a loss to a team with an RPI as poor as UVA's, and we need the win simply because this is the easiest game for the Hokies in their remaining schedule. A win on Wednesday night means the Hokies go to 7-4 in ACC play and only need to find two more wins against a lineup including FSU (twice), Clemson, Duke, and UNC. If Virginia Tech loses to UVA, they have basically stamped their ticket for the NIT barring some sort of miracle where VT beats both Duke and UNC. I would rather take the easier road, which means that Virginia Tech needs to come out firing against the Hoos of Hooville Wednesday night. I will be there, dressed in my Hokie maroon and cheering louder than the Cavalier "faithful". Will you?
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