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Hokies stun No. 10 North Carolina
Behind strong performances from Justin Robinson and Ahmed Hill, Virginia Tech snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Tar Heels with a convincing 80-69 victory
January 22, 2018
| 1 | 2 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|
 (10) North Carolina (16-5, 5-3) | 32 | 37 | 69 |
 Virginia Tech (14-6, 3-4) | 39 | 41 | 80 |
| |||
BLACKSBURG – Justin Robinson scored 19 points to lead Virginia Tech to an 80-69 victory over No. 10 North Carolina in an ACC game played Monday night at Carilion Clinic Court.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Hokies, who moved to 14-6 overall, 3-4 in the ACC. Tech also snapped a seven-game losing skid to the Tar Heels, who fell to 16-5, 5-3 in league play.
In addition, the win marked the first for head coach Buzz Williams over the Tar Heels in four tries.
“The thing that I’m most grateful for is the effort we played with, the energy that we played with, the fight that we played with,” Williams said. “I’m thankful that it happened at home. This is the first ‘Big Monday’ game we’ve had since we’ve lived here. To have all the real people here, the real coaches here, the real leaders here, and for our guys and our staff to have that opportunity and to play with the gumption that we played with … I hope that it’s a sign of things to come.”
Robinson continued his torrid shooting of late, connecting on 7 of 13 from the floor, including 3 of 5 from beyond the 3-point arc. He also added five rebounds and four assists.
Ahmed Hill finished with 18 points for the Hokies, hitting 8 of 12 from the floor, and Kerry Blackshear Jr. chipped in 16 points and five rebounds.
The Hokies trailed by as many as seven in the first half, but they used a 15-2 run to close the half and take a 39-32 halftime lead. Tech hit its final four 3-point attempts to end the half, with the last one coming from Robinson with 5 seconds remaining in the half.
The barrage gave the Hokies a lead that they would never relinquish, as Tech did not trail in the second half. North Carolina closed to 51-48 on a layup by Garrison Brooks with 12:11 left, but Tech’s Hill scored the next seven points, including a thunderous follow-up slam of a missed layup by Robinson. The Tar Heels’ Andrew Platek cut the Tech lead to 58-51 on a 3-pointer with 9:59 remaining, but the Hokies scored the next six points to cap the 13-3 run, and Tech pulled away from there.
The Hokies shot 47.6 percent from the floor and hit 12 3-pointers, but more importantly, out-rebounded the Tar Heels 36-35. North Carolina came into the game leading the nation in rebounding margin at 12.2 per game.
GAME NOTES
• Robinson now has scored at least 19 points in three straight games and has reached double figures in seven straight.
• For the fourth time this season, Robinson registered at least five assists in a game.
• For the 10th time this season, Tech out-rebounded an opponent. The Hokies are 9-1 in those games (lone loss vs. UVA).
• The Hokies have hit at least 10 3-pointers in 10 games this season.
• Hill has hit at least one 3-pointer in 19 of 20 games this season.
• Hill’s eight field goals are tied for his second-most this season.
TWEET OF THE GAME
BIG
— VT Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 23, 2018
DUB
ON
BIG
MONDAY
👏👊🙌 pic.twitter.com/mAkS4IamX0
UP NEXT
The Hokies hit the road for the next game, traveling to South Bend, Indiana to take on Notre Dame in another ACC game on Saturday. Tipoff for the game, which can be seen on ESPN2, is slated for 8 p.m.
For updates on Virginia Tech men's basketball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @HokiesMBB
