Keve Aluma collected 17 points and 12 rebounds to lift No. 16 Virginia Tech to a 64-57 victory over VMI on Thursday in Blacksburg, Va.
Tyrece Radford had 13 points, Wabissa Bede scored 11 and Justyn Mutts added 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Hokies (4-0). Virginia Tech is off to another fast start after beginning the 2019-20 season with six consecutive wins.
Myles Lewis recorded 13 points and 12 rebounds and Greg Parham finished with 12 points for the Keydets (2-2), who have lost nine in a row to Virginia Tech. VMI was bidding for its first win over the Hokies since a 72-68 decision on Dec. 4, 2004.
Bede played a significant role in a 9-0 run to give Virginia Tech a 50-45 lead with 5:45 remaining in the second half. Bede set up a dunk by Mutts, drained a jumper and assisted on Radford's three-point play during that surge.
Mutts' emphatic dunk in transition and Bede's long-range jumper gave the Hokies a 59-51 lead with 1:38 left in the game. Parham hit a free throw and a 3-pointer to halve the deficit, but a three-point play from Aluma -- the reigning ACC Player of the Week -- with 36 seconds left effectively ended the game.
Early in the second half, VMI erased a 10-point deficit with a 13-0 run, highlighted by a pair of step-back jumpers from Parham and a driving layup from Trey Bonham that gave the Keydets a 39-36 lead.
VMI caught Virginia Tech flat-footed to begin the contest and secured a 16-14 lead after Jake Stephens made a 3-pointer with 6:54 remaining in the first half. The Hokies answered by scoring the next 12 points, with Mutts, Radford and Aluma each making a layup before Jalen Cone and Radford each drained a 3-pointer.
Despite that surge, both teams struggled from beyond the arc in the first half. Virginia Tech made just 3 of 15 attempts while VMI was 3 of 12 from 3-point range.
The Hokies, however, held a 25-13 edge in rebounds -- including an 8-2 advantage at the offensive end -- to secure a 30-23 lead at intermission.
Overall, Virginia Tech was 4 of 27 from long range while VMI was 7 of 24. The Hokies wound up with a 48-30 advantage on the glass.
--Field Level Media
