BLACKSBURG, Va. - In its opening game of the 2011 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, the Monmouth University men's basketball fell at Virginia Tech 91-46 in Cassell Coliseum on Monday night. With the loss, the Hawks fall to 0-2 on the young season, and will face the loser of George Mason/FIU on Tuesday evening at 8:30 p.m.
Leading the way for the Blue and White was junior
Ed Waite, who notched his third career double-double behind 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds off the bench.
The Hawks, who hit just 1-of-17 three-point attempts, connected on 26.8% from the field (15-56), while the Hokies hit 62.5% (30-48) overall and 10-of-15 from beyond the arc.
"Friday night's loss [at Villanova] and tonight's loss are all on me," stated first year head coach
King Rice following the game. "The amount we lost by is on me. We are asking these young men to play a brand new style that is extremely hard to understand, but we will continue to work and get better."
The Hokies jumped out to an 8-2 lead on Dorenzo Hudson's lay-in, before the Hawks climbed within 8-6 at 15:50 on Waite's three-point play following an offensive rebound. VT responded with a 10-0 run over a span of 3:06 of action to take an 18-6 lead with 12:04 showing.
Jesse Steele's wing three-pointer halted the Hokie run, but VT answered with a corner trey from Jarell Eddie to push the advantage to 12, 21-9, with 11:03 remaining. Following a
Mykel Harris foul shot and another offensive putback from Waite, which pulled the Hawks within 21-12, the Hokies scored the game's next 10 points to grab a 31-12 edge with 6:26 remaining in the half.
Monmouth stopped the Hokies' second 10-0 run with a pair of free throws from
Dion Nesmith, which also ended a 4:35 scoreless streak for the Hawks, making the score 31-14 with 6:07 showing.
The Hawks, who went eight minutes in between field goals, fell behind 37-16, before a
Phill Wait free throw started an 8-3 Monmouth spurt over the next 2:59 to pull the Blue and White within 40-24, but VT's fast break layup as time expired gave the Hokies a 42-24 lead at the intermission.
Out of the break, Steele's steal and layup pulled Monmouth within 42-26, but VT responded with a 10-0 run once again, capped by a pair of Hudson fast break layups, to double up the Hawks, 52-26 with 16:59 left.
VT extended its spurt to 19-0 and hauled in a 35-point lead, 61-26, with 12:17 left, before Waite's basket with 12:00 showing made the tally 61-28.
The Hokies extended their lead to 82-36 behind 11 straight points from Tyrone Garland and held an 89-40 cushion on Robert Brown's second straight three-pointer with 4:00 left on the clock.
VT had five players in double-figures, led by Brown's 19 points, while Hudson and Garland each added 18 apiece.
