Freshmen help Hokies to surprising road win

By Mark Berman

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass.

Virginia Tech was playing its second game in three days and was without one of its top players.

Its well-rested foe boasted one of the ACC's best point guards and had never lost at home in this series.

But the Hokies pulled off their most surprising win of the season Saturday, defeating Boston College 81-73 in overtime at the Eagles' Conte Forum.

Tech (12-8, 3-3), coming off an 81-64 loss to Duke on Thursday, won an ACC road game in overtime for the second time in 11 days.

"The young can get it done," said point guard Malcolm Delaney, who had 13 points and was 1 of 3 Tech freshmen to score in double figures.

"A little overtime is nothing to us," added freshman forward J.T. Thompson, who had 14 points to help Tech improve to 2-1 in OT. "In the Duke game... we gave up in the second half, but this game right here, we played all the way through."

Freshman reserve point guard Hank Thorns, who had been 1 of 5 from the field in regulation, scored nine of his 11 points in OT.

Thorns, who was fighting a cold, sank a 3-pointer to give Tech the lead for good at 69-68 with 3:37 left. After Thompson stole the ball, Thorns made a layup to extend the lead to 71-68.

"I play with confidence," Thorns said.

"Hank's not afraid," coach Seth Greenberg said. "You're not 5-7-1/2 or 5-8 and making it to this level if you're afraid."

Thorns played good defense late in the game against BC counterpart Tyrese Rice. Rice had 27 points, but after making his fourth 3-pointer with 9:29 left in regulation, his only points the rest of the way came on two free throws.

"You can tell he was getting a little frustrated," Thorns said. "I wouldn't let them reverse the ball back to him."

"They started to clamp down in the middle a little bit more, made shots a little bit more difficult," said Rice, whose team shot 37.5 percent from the field.

Rice also had a crucial turnover. With Tech up 65-63, Rice stepped out of bounds with 17 seconds left in regulation.

The Hokies, who had been 0-6 at BC, played their second straight game without suspended forward Jeff Allen.

But Thompson, again starting in Allen's place, had career highs in points and rebounds (12).

Deron Washington, who scored with 1:36 left to extend Tech's lead to 73-68, finished with 19 points. A.D. Vassallo had 14 points and 11 rebounds