NC State
Virginia Tech
Pack Takes Down Hokies
2/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2006
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - Cameron Bennerman saved the Wolfpack at the free-throw line.
Bennerman matched his career high with 26 points and was 10-for-10 at the foul line. Eight of those free throws came in the final minute as No. 21 NC State held on for a 70-64 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
"When you go to the line with a sense of urgency, there's more of an expectation to knock those free throws down," Bennerman said.
Tony Bethel added 19 points and had six 3-pointers, and Engin Atsur scored 14 with four 3-pointers to help the Wolfpack (21-5, 10-3 Atlantic Coast Conference).
"He was big for us down the stretch," Bethel said of Bennerman.
NC State led by as many as 22 points early in the second half before Virginia Tech mounted a comeback. The Wolfpack hit its last 3-pointer with 12:56 left, and they went the final 6:19 without a field goal as the Hokies made a furious run to get back in it. They got within a possession several times, but each time the Wolfpack held them off.
Coleman Collins led the Hokies (13-12, 3-9) with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Jamon Gordon, who had six steals, added 11 points, and Zabian Dowdell had 10.
Collins, whose father died after a long illness Monday, left after the game to go home to Stone Mountain, Ga., for a memorial service.
The Hokies finished 1-for-12 from 3-point territory.
The Wolfpack led the whole game, with Bennerman and Bethel scoring the first 10 points as the Hokies missed their first eight shots.
The Hokies got within one twice in the first half, but the Wolfpack rode their 3-point shooting - 9-for-16 in the half - to a 21-4 run to lead 43-25 at halftime.
"I mean, it's as good as it gets," Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said of the Wolfpack's 3-point shooting. "The No. 1 thing we wanted to do was ... take away their 3-point shot. Obviously we didn't do a good job with it, especially in the first half."
The Wolfpack led 47-25 early in the second half, but then Deron Washington launched a 9-0 run for the Hokies with two straight baskets. Washington's free throw with 12:39 left also started a 20-5 run for the Hokies, who made it 61-58 with 1:21 left.
