BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP)—Zabian Dowdell scored 19 points and Virginia Tech overcame a horrid shooting night by Carlos Dixon and a 49-28 rebounding disadvantage by taking care of the ball in a 63-59 victory against Chattanooga on Thursday night.
Virginia Tech (4-0) committed only eight turnovers, 14 fewer than the Mocs (2-2), and turned the efficiency into a 29-8 advantage on the scoreboard.
Neither team led by more than six in the second half, and the score was tied three times, the last at 55 on Deron Washington’s tip-in with 3:20 remaining. The tip came in the middle of a 9-0 run that gave the Hokies the lead at 60-55, and they never lost it.
Washington had the first four points in the spurt, and Dowdell hit two free throws and a 3-pointer. Dowdell scored the Hokies’ last eight points in the game.
With Dixon, the Hokies’ No. 2 scorer, missing 12 of 13 shots and scoring just six points, freshman scoring leader Washington had 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting and nine rebounds for the Hokies, and Jamon Gordon added 12 points and five assists.
Casey Long led the Mocs with 14 points and nine rebounds. Alphonso Pugh had 12 points, Steve Cherry and Chris Brown 11 each and Mindauga Katelynas had eight and 16 rebounds. Chattanooga reserves scored just three points, the Hokies’ six.
