Georgia Southern 78, Virginia Tech 73
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Georgia Southern won a non-conference road game for just the third time in the last six years, leading wire-to-wire in a 78-73 upset of Virginia Tech Saturday at Cassell Coliseum.
The Eagles, who had beaten just one Division I opponent in six tries this season, snapped a long road losing streak earlier this season, beating Kennesaw State for its first road victory since Dec. 2, 2006.
This, however, proved to be a much bigger win for fourth-year coach Charlton Young's program. Georgia Southern last beat a power-conference team in the 1992-93 season, an 82-69 victory at South Carolina.
Both C.J. Reed and Cleon Roberts broke the 20-point mark for the Eagles (4-5), who hit a season-high 11 3-pointers and outrebounded the Hokies 38-36. Reed led the Eagles with 22 and Roberts scored 20.
Georgia Southern, which had never beaten an ACC team, scored the game's first eight points to set the tone for the stunning result.
Virginia Tech (8-2) pulled within two several times in the first half but could never catch the Eagles. After a Tech turnover and foul with 1.8 seconds left in the half, Roberts hit a pair of free throws to give the Eagles a 35-27 lead at the break.
Roberts and Reed helped the Eagles open the second half on a 7-0 run to extend the lead to 42-27, and the Hokies fought uphill the rest of the way. The Eagles pushed the lead to 16 at one point before the Hokies made one last surge, getting as close as three on Jarell Eddie's 3-pointer with 54 seconds to play.
The Hokies got a defensive stop on their next possession, but Erick Green missed game-tying a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left. GSU's Cameron Baskerville hit two free throws after being fouled, and Green quickly answered with a layup with 14.8 left to cut the GSU lead to 76-73. Baskerville hit two more free throws, and Green missed a shot in the lane with less than 10 seconds to play, and Georgia Southern escaped with the upset.
Green scored 26 points to lead the Hokies, marking the 10th straight game he's scored at least 20 points. Eddie added 21.
Notes: This game was part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic, which continues next week at the Orleans Arena. Tech will face Bradley next Friday in the event; Georgia Southern will meet Mississippi Valley State. ... Georgia Southern's Reed is playing for his third Division I school. The guard spent three years at Bethune-Cookman before transferring to Central Florida, but he transferred again after UCF was penalized with NCAA sanctions. ... Virginia Tech had won the previous five series meetings, all in Blacksburg.
