Box Score

SAN JUAN, P.R. -- Greg Nero scored a team-high 13 points while Herbie Allen and Anthony Johnson added 11 and 10 points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team opened the O'Reilly's Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip Off with a 74-57 loss to Virginia Tech.

Each team scored on their first possession of the game with Cheick Diakite hitting a jumper and Mike Evanovich netting a three-point shot to put Fairfield in front at 3-2. The Stags cut the lead to one point after Anthony Johnson hit a basket to make the score 6-5. Virginia Tech's Jeff Allen tallied back-to-back three pointers to push the lead to seven points at 12-5.

The Hokies increased their lead steadily over the next three minutes to hold an 11-point advantage at 19-8 with 13:19 on the clock. Senior A.D. Vassallo hit a three pointer at the end of the run to give Virginia Tech its double digit lead. The lead reached as many as 15 points at 36-21 after a pair of free throws by Vassallo.

The home team was able to push the lead to that margin by taking advantage of several Fairfield turnovers. The Stags turned the ball over six times in the first 12 minutes of the half, but would have just one more turnover the rest of the half. While taking care of the ball, Fairfield put together a 10-2 run to pull within seven points at 38-31. Mike Evanovich had a chance to cut the lead to six points, but his three-point try fell short and led to a Virginia Tech basket that made the score 40-31 at halftime.

The Hokies tallied the first five points of the second half to make the score 45-31. But Fairfield had another run left in it and it used the stretch to pull within four points at 51-47 at the 12:38 remaining. Warren Edney tallied four points while Han and Greg Nero each added a pair of points.

Virginia Tech netted the next nine points to stretch the lead back to 13 points, courtesy of five points from Allen and another four points from Victor Davila. The lead reached as many as 21 points in the second half at 74-53 before Virginia Tech won the game by a 74-57 score.

Fairfield will play the loser of the Missouri-Xavier game at noon on Friday (11 am EST).