79

72

Rhode Island ended the game on a 31-12 run, and came from 12 points behind in the second half to upend the Hokies 79-72. The loss marked the end of the season for Tech, as they finished 25-9 on the season.

The two teams kept it close in the first half, as neither team could pull away from the other. URI went up 17-11 seven minutes into the game, but the Hokies responded with an 11-point run to take a 22-17 lead. Tech seemed to have a four point advantage heading into halftime, but Jeff Allen threw an inbounds pass out of bounds, and Rhode Island capitalized with a bucket as time expired. Nevertheless, Tech had a 42-40 lead at the break.

Both teams lit it up from the field in the first half. Tech shot 63% in the first half, including 50% from beyond the arc. The Rams countered by shooting 52% from the field, including 36% from deep.

Tech came out firing in the second half, extending their lead to 12 points at 60-48, thanks to an 18-8 run in the first 5:17 of the half. URI didn't go away, as the Rams responded with a 13-0 run of their own in the next 3:14 to take a 61-60 lead halfway through the second half.

After that, the Hokies never responded. Tech only hit two field goals the rest of the way, and were outscored 18-12 to finish the game. JT Thompson nearly tied the game with 46 seconds remaining, but his layup fell to the wayside. The Hokies seemed to have a chance to get the ball back with 10 seconds remaining, but Lamonte Ulmer picked up his own offensive rebound and put the ball back in to seal the deal.

The loss was disappointing in multiple ways for Hokie fans. First of all, Tech seemed to be coasting through the second half, but took their foot off the gas pedal and allowed the Rams to get back in the game. Then, when Tech had a chance to regain the momentum, they couldn't make shots and ended up falling apart on the offensive end.

The Big Three didn't go down without a fight, however. Malcolm Delaney finished with 24 points, but missed a crucial free throw with 6.9 seconds remaining that would have brought the game to within two points. Dorenzo Hudson seemed to be a little bit off from Monday, despite scoring 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Jeff Allen finished off his season with a double-double, scoring 15 points to go along with 11 rebounds.

Delroy James led URI with 18 points, while Lamonte Ulmer and Akeem Richmond added 13 points a piece. The Rams now advance to Madison Square Garden, where they will take on UNC next Tuesday.

The Hokies return all the players from this year's team, except for Lewis Witcher and Paul Debnam. Tech returns 97% of their offense next year, and the team's five leading scorers will all be seniors. Next year should be a special one in Blacksburg.

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