Jan. 17, 2009

Allen's career high lifts Hokies past BC, gives Greenberg 100th win at Tech

Jeff Allen scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Virginia Tech held Boston College to just one field goal in the final three minutes to pull away from the Eagles 79-71 in an Atlantic Coast Conference game on Saturday evening at Cassell Coliseum.

The win – the Hokies’ fourth straight over Boston College – marked Tech’s third straight overall and its seventh in the past eight games. Tech moved to 12-5 overall on the season, 2-1 in the ACC. It also gave Tech head coach Seth Greenberg his 100th victory as the Hokies’ head coach.

“That just means I’ve had some good players and I haven’t screwed them up,” Greenberg joked.

BC fell to 13-6 overall, 1-3 in the league and lost for the fourth straight time since knocking off then-No. 1 North Carolina 85-78 in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Jan. 4.

Deacons Tame Tigers, 78-68

Clemson, S.C. (AP) - Jeff Teague scored 24 points and No. 2 Wake Forest set a school record with a 16-0 start, handing No. 10 Clemson its first loss of the season, 78-68 on Saturday.

The Demon Deacons (16-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) looked like they had this one in hand, leading 58-44 after L.D. Williams' 3-pointer with 9:32 left.

However, the Tigers (16-1, 2-1) used a 16-3 run over the next 5 minutes to pull within 61-60.

Teague rushed the ball up court on Wake's next possession, finding a sprinting Al-Farouq Aminu for a dunk. James Johnson followed with a free throw and two baskets and the Demon Deacons were on their way to surpassing the school mark for best start since 1926-27.

Seminoles Outlast Terrapins In OT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Toney Douglas scored eight of his 25 points in overtime to lead Florida State to a 76-73 win over Maryland on Saturday.

Douglas, who had just five points at halftime, scored the Seminoles first seven points of the overtime. Freshman Luke Loucks was the only other Seminole in double figures, finishing with 10 points.

Derwin Kitchen's only field goal gave Florida State a 66-64 lead with a minute left in regulation, but Maryland's Landon Milbourne's putback with 22 seconds left sent the game to overtime.

Horner, Wolfpack Overtake Yellow Jackets in OT, 76-71

RALEIGH, N.C. – With so many injury-induced changes to the NC State’s lineup this season, there are no surprises when someone is different to called upon to step up and make a big contribution for the Wolfpack.

So when junior Brandon Costner fouled out of Saturday’s overtime game against Georgia Tech, taking his team-high 22 points and seven rebounds to the bench, no one on the court for the Wolfpack had any doubts that junior Dennis Horner could come in and give the team a boost.

Coach Sidney Lowe’s team had come back from a 10-point deficit with five minutes to play in regulation, thanks to a furious rally that ended when junior point guard Farnold Degand converted a three-point play with 37.7 seconds remaining to tie the game. Georgia Tech then missed two shots that could have won the game on their final possession of regulation.

No. 5 Tar Heels Pull Away to Defeat Miami

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - For the first time all year, Wayne Ellington couldn't miss. It made fifth-ranked North Carolina's offense finally look as potent as everyone expected.

Tyler Hansbrough added 24 points for the Tar Heels (16-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who used a 13-0 run to end the first half and push ahead for good. But it was Ellington, who had struggled with his shot much of the season, who got North Carolina rolling with a dazzling shooting display that turned a close game into a rout.

After a scoreless first half, Ellington hit eight straight shots with a career-high seven of those coming from behind the arc. Once the junior got hot, North Carolina pushed the lead to 20 points on the way to evening its league record.

No. 3 Duke Rolls Over No. 13 Georgetown, 76-67

DURHAM, N.C. – Gerald Henderson shrugged his shoulders in disbelief that he simply couldn't miss. Later, Greg Paulus gave Duke's famous home court a hard slap.

Both messages were clear: Because of Henderson's scoring touch — and Paulus' intensity at both ends of the court — the Blue Devils' long home winning streak is safe for another season.

Henderson scored 23 points and No. 3 Duke held on to beat No. 13 Georgetown 76-67 on Saturday.

Kyle Singler added 15 points and 16 rebounds and Jon Scheyer had 11 points for the Blue Devils (16-1), who won their eighth straight overall. They shot 48.6 percent and closed their home nonconference schedule by winning their Division I-best 68th consecutive non-ACC game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.