Hokies Crush Campbell, Host North Florida Tonight

After finishing up semester exams, Tech men's basketball team returned to the court Saturday to face a feisty Campbell squad that had already won at Iowa earlier in the season. The Hokies showed a bit of rust in the first half, shooting just 37 percent from the field, but opened things up with a 15-0 run to start the second half.

Tech went on to shoot 73 percent in the final 20 minutes, and coasted to a 85-60 victory over the Camels. The game showcased the reemergence of senior leaders Victor Davila and Dorenzo Hudson. Davila finished with 15 points, all in the second half, and connected on six of his nine buckets. Hudson tied for the team lead in scoring with 15, snapping a string of six consecutive games in which he failed to reach double digits. The Hokies' other three starters, Erick Green, Jarell Eddie, and Dorian Finney-Smith all reached double figures as well, adding 12, 11, and 10 respectively.

The Hokies forced 15 Campbell turnovers on the afternoon, converting them into 23 points. Tech also did a better job of getting in transition, notching 20 fast break points to the Camels' 8. The win was Tech's third in a row, moving its record to 8-3 while Campbell fell to 8-3 on the season.

Up next for the Hokies, the North Florida Ospreys of the Atlantic Sun. The first meeting between the schools will take place Monday at 7pm and will be broadcast on ESPN3. UNF comes into the game at 5-6 on the season, but has faced a grueling schedule with trips to Alabama, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, Kansas State, and most recently Auburn. The Ospreys pushed K-State into overtime in Manhattan before falling 79-68.

UNF is led by a trio of players averaging more than 10 points a game. Parker Smith (6-3, 150, JR) comes off the bench to lead UNF with 10.6 ppg, while Jerron Granberry (6-4, 225, JR) and Andy Diaz (6-7, 230, JR) each chip in 10.5 per game. The Ospreys will sub frequently and use a lot of their bench. In fact, their bench averages a bit more scoring (32 ppg) than the starting 5 (31.9 ppg).

The key for Tech, as it is in all these semester break home games against lesser teams, is to not lose focus. The Ospreys have gone through a lot in the first 11 games of the season and won't be intimidated by another top school in a power conference. UNF turns the ball over a lot (17 per game) and only hits one-third of their three point attempts. Meanwhile, Tech leads the nation in three-point defense with opponents shooting just 21.7 percent from beyond the arc.

This North Florida squad was picked third by the coaches in the preseason A-Sun poll behind Belmont and ETSU, so expect a scrappy bunch in Blacksburg Monday night. However, Tech should be able to come out with a comfortable win to run their winning streak to four games.