Field Level Media
Nov 8, 2019
The Virginia Tech Hokies held the Coppin State Eagles to just 12 points in the first half and cruised to a 74-42 victory on Friday night in Blacksburg, Va.
The Hokies (2-0) produced a suffocating defensive display which overwhelmed the Eagles (0-2) and enabled Virginia Tech coach Mike Young to go deep into his bench. Young played 10 different players in the first nine minutes of the game. They all clamped down at the defensive end of the floor, creating some remarkable statistics which defined Virginia Tech's win.
Coppin State went 1 of 20 from the field to start the game, spanning the first 13 1/2 minutes of play. The Eagles didn't score a point in nearly 11 minutes. Their first field goal of the game occurred at 17:20 of the first half. Their next field goal -- also their next points -- came at 6:26 of the half. By that point in time, Virginia Tech had built a 27-5 lead. The Hokies established a 35-12 halftime lead and never led by fewer than 17 points for the rest of the night.
Coppin State made only four field-goal attempts in the first half. Only one Coppin State player, Andrew Robinson, finished with more than six points. Robinson posted 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
The other four Coppin State starters finished 4 of 31 from the field. The Eagles finished the game 14 of 71 from the field, less than 20 percent. They never could solve Virginia Tech's defense, which forced 16 turnovers.
Virginia Tech was led by Nahiem Alleyne, who scored a game-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. Alleyne made 4 of 6 3-pointers.
The Hokies' best defensive player was Wabissa Bede. The guard scored only three points but grabbed nine rebounds and made two steals. He also handed out 10 assists.
--Field Level Media