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Virginia Tech faces Southern Illinois; Shaw questionable

Mar 18, 2007 - 2:37 PM No. 5 Virginia Tech (22-11) at No. 4 Southern Illinois (28-6) 2:40 pm EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) - It wasn't easy for Deron Washington and Virginia Tech in the first round. Now, they may have caught a break against undermanned Southern Illinois.

The fifth-seeded Hokies will look to capitalize on the momentum of their late-game run in the first round when they take on No. 4 Southern Illinois in a second-round matchup on Sunday.

The winning squad will face the winner of powerhouse programs, eighth-seeded Kentucky and No. 1 Kansas, in the regional semifinals.

After a promising season, Virginia Tech earned its highest seed in school history and its first berth to the tournament since 1996. The Hokies finished third in the Atlantic Coast Conference, twice defeating the East Region's No. 1 seed, North Carolina.

But for most of its first-round matchup, Virginia Tech trailed and needed a remarkable late-game rally. It outscored Illinois, 12-0, in the final 4 1/2 minutes to secure a 54-52 victory on Friday. The Illini had trouble scoring in the second half, connecting on just two field goals in the last 10 minutes of the game.

Washington scored five of his 14 points in the final two minutes.

The Hokies will look to keep their run going when they face the Salukis, who may be without third-leading scorer Matt Shaw. Shaw went down with an injured ankle toward the end of the opening half in Friday's, 61-51, victory over No. 13 Holy Cross.

But Southern Illinois got a boost off the bench from Tony Boyle, who scored a career-high 14 points to lead four players in double figures.

However, Shaw did play when the squads met earlier this season in the championship game of a preseason tournament in Orlando in November. The Salukis defeated the Hokies, 69-64, after Jamaal Tatum hit a crucial 3-pointer with 26 seconds left.