Men's Basketball Falls at 13th-Ranked Virginia Tech on Saturday

The Central Connecticut men's basketball team fell to 13th-ranked Virginia Tech, 94-40, on Saturday at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, VA. The Hokies used hot-shooting and stifling defense to pull away from the Blue Devils in the first half. Junior Joe Hugley was the only Blue Devil in double-figures with 13 points.

CCSU slips to 4-5 overall on the season with the loss.

Central returns home on Saturday, Dec. 8, to host Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

The Blue Devils opened the scoring with a three-pointer by freshman Ian Krishnan and led 8-7 following another trey by Krishnan with 16:10 left in the half.

The Hokies got a trifecta from Kerry Blackshear on the next possession to take the lead for good and open a string of 13 straight points. Wabissa Bede hit a trey to make it 20-8 with 13:21 left in the half.

Following a three-pointer by junior Joe Hugley with 10:39 to go in the period, Central would be held scoreless over a stretch of 5:23. The Blue Devils also lost leading-scorer senior Tyler Kohl in that stretch when he was called for a flagrant 2 foul. The Hokies would take advantage by going on a 14-0 run to build a 41-16 lead.

A layup by senior Deion Bute with 5:16 to go in the period would end the scorless drought, but the Hokies would lead 49-23 at halftime after a three-pointer by Ahmed Hill.

Central was limited to 9-of-27 shooting (.333) in the opening half, while the Hokies shot 19-of-29 (.655) from the field and hit 9-of-15  (.600) three-pointers in the period. 

The Hokies continued to hit from distance to open the second half. Hill hit a trey with 16:06 left as Tech hit its first five three-pointers of the second half and extended the lead to 64-28.

CCSU would go 5:13 without a field goal in the second half before freshman Karrington Wallace hit back-to-back buckets with 11:23 to play, but the Blue Devils would get no closer. Central was held to just 5-of-27 (.185) shooting in the second half, while the Hokies hit 17-of-34 (.500) to pull away for the win.

Hugley was the only Blue Devil in double-figures with 13 points. CCSU shot just 14-of-54 (.259) overall and 5-of-27 (.185) from the arc. Central was 5-of-7 (.714) at the foul line.

Hill led four Hokies in double-digits with 24 points. Virginia Tech shot 36-of-63 (.571) from the field and 18-of-33 (.545) from three-point range. The Hokies outrebounded CCSU, 37-25.

Central is off until Saturday, Dec. 8, when it hosts Penn State Wilkes-Barre at 1:00 p.m.