ACC

Big second half propels Hokies past Deacons

Up by only two at halftime, Virginia Tech slowly pulls away from a tired Wake Forest.

By JOE SMITH
Published March 10, 2007

TAMPA - Virginia Tech forward Deron Washington snatched the ball away near halfcourt late Friday night.

The 6-foot-7 junior then raced for a thunderous, one-handed dunk, forcing a Wake Forest timeout and bringing Hokies fans to their feet.

More troubling for the Demon Deacons; five minutes later, Washington repeated the feat, and fans soon began to leave their seats.

Virginia Tech pulled away in the second half of its 71-52 win over No. 11 seed Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. The third-seeded Hokies move on to today's semifinals at 4 to face No. 10 seed North Carolina State, 79-71 upset winners over No. 2 seed Virginia.

Virginia Tech avoided an upset - and an early exit - by taking advantage of 18 Wake Forest turnovers, consistently beating a worn Wake Forest team back in transition.

The Demon Deacons 15-16, surprise semifinalists in last year's tournament, came in winners of six of their past 10. Their most memorable victory was their most recent, an equally draining - and dramatic - 114-112 double-overtime thriller over Georgia Tech that lasted into early Friday morning.

Virginia Tech (21-10) hadn't played since Sunday's one-point loss to Clemson - and appeared fresher from the get-go Frirday.

The Hokies' catalysts, senior guards Zabian Dowdell (13 points) and Jamon Gorden quickly turned Wake Forest turnovers into baskets, combining for eight of Virginia Tech's first 13 points. Within six minutes, the Hokies held a double-digit lead.

But just like Thursday's win, the Demon Deacons kept it close with some streaky shooting. Midway through the half, freshman guard Anthony Gurley sank a 3-pointer from the left corner to cut the Hokies' lead to 20-17.

The Demon Deacons were assertive on getting the ball inside to center Kyle Visser (17 points) and 6-7 sophomore Kevin Swinton, contrasting the Hokies' penetrate-and-kick style of attack.

Visser was aggressive, getting to the free-throw line and scoring 12 first-half points. The Demon Deacons took a one-point lead with less than two minutes to go, but Virginia Tech quickly responded and controlled play for the next 10 minutes.

The Hokies held Wake Forest to just three points in the first five minutes of the second half, stretching their lead to six. Harvey Hale, who scored 21 in the overtime periods on Thursday, managed just five points Friday.

Instead, it was the Hokies role players who stepped up, especially sophomore forward A.D. Vassallo.

The 6-6 swingman did a little bit of everything - sinking pull-up 3s, making free throws. Vassallo reached his scoring average (11) by the end of the first half and tallied a game-high 22 points.

Vassallo's putback with 12:40 left gave the Hokies a seven-point lead.

Soon, the Hokies would pull away, turning four straight Wake Forest turnovers into four scores.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com or at (727) 893-8129.

Va. Tech 71, Wake Forest 52

[Last modified March 10, 2007, 06:23:54]