Michigan falters in second half, loses to Virginia Tech 73-70

By foxsports
Published

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Zach LeDay scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half, and Virginia Tech rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to beat Michigan 73-70 on Wednesday night.

The Hokies (6-1) trailed 67-63 late in the second half before a 3-pointer by Justin Bibbs started an 8-0 run. Seth Allen gave Virginia Tech the lead with a driving layup, then added a 3-pointer.

Duncan Robinson's 3-pointer with 42 seconds left pulled Michigan (5-2) to within a point, and an offensive foul on Allen gave the Wolverines the ball back. But Michigan was out of timeouts, and Zak Irvin ended up trying a tough jumper from just inside the arc that missed.

After Bibbs made two free throws with 3.9 seconds left, Robinson had a chance to tie it, but his 3-pointer from the left wing missed.

Michigan was in total control at the start, jumping out to a 17-4 lead and eventually going up 23-8 on a 3-pointer by Derrick Walton. Virginia Tech was down 39-30 at halftime but opened the second half with a 9-2 run.

Irvin led Michigan with 23 points.

BIG PICTURE

Virginia Tech: The Hokies did their part in the ACC-Big Ten challenge, coming away with an upset win on the road. Virginia Tech had little trouble scoring after its slow start. Four players ended up in double figures.

Michigan: The Wolverines have looked better on defense this season, but the second half of this game was a bit of a wake-up call. Virginia Tech shot 52 percent from the field on the night.

UP NEXT

Virginia Tech: The Hokies don't play again until next Wednesday night, when they host Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Michigan: The Wolverines host Kennesaw State on Saturday, taking a break from major-conference competition in a four-game stretch that includes matchups with Virginia Tech, Texas and UCLA.