Virginia Tech 81, Oklahoma State 71
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Erick Green, who spent much of the first half in foul trouble, hit the 20-point mark for a seventh straight game, helping unbeaten Virginia Tech to a 81-71 upset of No. 15 Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon at Cassell Coliseum.
The Hokies (7-0) snapped a 14-game losing streak for against ranked non-conference opponents.
Virginia Tech's last victory over a ranked team came against No. 22 Virginia in 1995 at the Roanoke Civic Center. The Hokies' last win over a ranked team came in February 2011, when it beat No. 1 Duke in Blacksburg.
Green, who picked up his second foul less than three minutes into the first half, scored a career-high 28 points. Robert Brown tied his career high with 18 points, Jarell Eddie added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Cadarian Raines scored 10.
Le'Bryan Nash and Marcus Smart each scored 18 points for the Cowboys (5-1), who lost to Virginia Tech for the third time in the last two seasons.
Oklahoma State led, 36-28, after Smart's basket with 1:57 left in the first half. But the Hokies clamped down defensively and scored the final four points of the half to keep the game tight at the break.
The game remained close until Oklahoma State's offense dried up midway through the second half. The Cowboys went 5:05 without a point, allowing the Hokies to turn a 46-44 deficit into a 58-50 lead.
Smart ended the Cowboys' drought with a three-point play with 8:12 left, spurring an Oklahoma State comeback.
Virginia Tech endured a drought of its own, going 3:51 without a field goal as the Cowboys chipped away at the lead. Brown finally ended the dry spell on a basket with 5:25 to play that gave the Hokies a 62-59 lead.
Marshall Wood hit two free throws with 2:39 left to give the Hokies a 69-63 lead, but the Cowboys weren't done.
Markel Brown knocked down a three-pointer with 2:22 left, and after Brown missed the front end of a one-and-one, Oklahoma State had the ball in a one-possession game.
But Markel Brown lost the ball in traffic and Green came up with it, and after being fouled at the rim, he hit two free throws to extend the lead to 71-66.
NOTES: This was first of back-to-back games against Big 12 opponents for the Hokies, who will travel to West Virginia on Dec. 8. ... Virginia Tech's Eddie has hit a three-pointer in an ACC-best 18 consecutive games. ... Oklahoma State center Philip Jurick was hit in the mouth in practice on Wednesday, opening a cut that required 12 stitches to close, but he was in the starting lineup. ... Saturday's game was Oklahoma State's only true road game of the non-conference season. The Cowboys won three games, including the championship, at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
