An energetic Cassell sends the Hokies to 1-0 in conference play
BLACKSBURG - The Hokies moved to 6-3 (1-0) following a grinding 75-68 win over the Louisville Cardinals.
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After an up-and-down away stretch which saw the Hokies go 2-2, a home cycle was needed. Thankfully, Sunday evening they started their homestand with a deserved - yet not totally convincing - win over the Cardinals.
Same old same for the Hokies, over the first five or so minutes a stagnant Maroon and Orange took the court. It took the Hokies to the 11:27 mark before they hit double digits on the scoreboard. They ended up spending most of half on the chase and barring a short lead here or there, they were consistently behind. The reasons for this lied in their putrid start. If they were able to keep up their final 15-minute form, then the scoreline would have likely looked in their favor.
Both teams clipped in the low 40% range and a late 8-2 Hokie run pulled the Cardinal lead to just one, as Louisville led 31-30.
Coming into half No. 2 it was clear the Hokies needed perimeter defense improvement, as the Cards hit an effective 40% from beyond the arc.
What came in half number two was an enthralling 20 minutes that saw both sides vie for a firm grip. While Louisville relied on their six different double-digit scorers. The Hokies were leaving the dirty work to MJ Collins and Lynn Kidd. The two combined for 25 of the Hokies 45 second-half points.
This sudden Collins surge is one that caught the Hokie faithful pleasantly surprised. As Collins shot 18.6% until Sunday, in which he found himself on the bench for Tyler Nickel, which could have just given Collins the nudge that his play was not to Young's desired caliber.
Collins' counterpart Nickel, maybe struggled the most out of the Hokies, as he shot a meek 1-6 from the field. While his shots were not falling like he would have hoped, as Young quotes frequently, every time he shoots it looks good so I wouldn't bet for Nickel to be off for much longer. Even with Nickel's woes, Virginia Tech's offensive sets did not look stale. This has been something Hokie fans have been lamenting through the early portions of the season. It finally looked as if the Hokies were not all reliant on Hunter Cattoor, and were able to find success in more than just plan A or plan B.
While the Hokies were never able to really maintain a large lead they would eventually do enough to secure the seven-point win. That win was in large part due to the play from the line. The Hokies shot an efficient 22-27 from the foul spot while Louisville hit six fewer free throws. In this year's debut segment of star player of the night, the inaugural award goes to MJ Collins. Collins was a lynchpin in the Hokies attack, and while his shots were not always open, he continuously made them count when they mattered most.
Up next for the Hokies is what looks to be a break from their early season tough fixture list, as they host Valparaiso next Saturday at 12 pm.
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