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Virginia Tech knocks off No. 15 Oklahoma State

Dec 2, 2012 - 6:13 AM Blacksburg, VA (Sports Network) - Erick Green totaled a game-high 28 points along with seven rebounds, as Virginia Tech held off the No. 15 Oklahoma State Cowboys, 81-71, at Cassell Coliseum.

Robert Brown contributed 18 points for the Hokies (7-0), who received 15 points and a game-best 12 rebounds from Jarell Eddie and 10 points from Cadarian Raines.

"This whole start to the season has been all about the team," said Virginia Tech head coach James Johnson. "It's been about hard work. It's been about taking one game at a time. It's about playing together. And we showed all those things on the floor tonight. I can't say enough about those guys in that locker room. They've been doing a great job since day one and did it again tonight."

Marcus Smart posted 18 points and 11 boards for the Cowboys (5-1). Le'Bryan Nash also tallied 18 points, while Kamari Murphy had 13 and Markel Brown 11 in a losing cause.

The hosts took the lead for good thanks to a 14-4 run which concluded just after the midway point of the second half.

Trailing 46-44, Raines' layup tied it and Eddie's triple made it 49-46. Marshall Wood added a three-point play, Brown hit two from the line and Eddie ended the surge on a lay-in with 9:16 to play for a 58-50 contest.

A tip-in from Philip Jurick with 5:43 left brought Oklahoma State within 60-59, but another burst, capped by Wood's two from the line, gave the Hokies a 69-63 edge with 2:39 showing. Markel Brown, though, hit from long distance to make it 69-66.

The Cowboys were forced to foul down the stretch, and only closed their gap to four, 75-71, before Green made all four of his foul shots and Eddie added two more to seal it.

Virginia Tech led 7-2 early, and OSU countered with 10 in a row to take a five-point advantage. A 9-2 run from Virginia Tech left it ahead 16-14 on a triple from Green.

The vistors stormed back with another run, this time 10-3, to go up 24-19 on two from the line from Markel Brown. The Hokies rallied to tie twice, before a 10-2 surge by the Cowboys ended on a Phil Forte three-pointer and 36-28 game.

OSU went to the break up 36-32, and Nash began the second half with a trey for a seven-point bulge.

Eight in a row from the Hokies, ending on Green's two foul shots, left them up 40-39.

Game Notes

Virginia Tech has won all four meetings ... Oklahoma State finished 4-of-23 from beyond the arc and shot just 42.4 percent for the contest ... Smart led all players with six assists in defeat ... The Hokies owned a 41-31 edge on the glass.