Virginia Tech 79, Virginia 73

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Coleman Collins scored 20 points and surprising Virginia Tech started the second half with a 23-10 run and held on to beat Virginia 79-73 in the schools' first conference meeting in 68 years.

The Hokies (11-6, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) led 60-44 after the burst with just 11:28 to play and pandemonium reigning in Cassell Coliseum. But the Cavaliers used an immediate 10-2 run to cut the deficit in half and got to within 74-71 with 1:46 left before turning the ball over, and the Hokies did just enough to win its fifth consecutive game.

Virginia (10-7, 1-6) lost for the fifth time in six games.

Carlos Dixon added 16 points, Zabian Dowdell and Deron Washington 14 each and Jamon Gordon 10 for the Hokies.

Devin Smith led the Cavaliers with 24 points and Elton Brown had 19 and 15 rebounds, helping Virginia win the boards 38-25.

Smith hit four 3-pointers and was open in the left corner when J.R. Reynolds threw a bullet pass his way with the Cavaliers down 74-71, but the ball went through Smith's hands and Virginia scored just once more.

The game was the 119th between the schools, but the first as conference rivals since both were in the Southern Conference in 1936-37. The victory was just the second in the last eight meetings for the Hokies.

They did it with what has become their standard under second-year coach Seth Greenberg -- attacking on offense, but unselfishly, taking care of the ball on defense and ball-hawking in passing lanes all the time.

Virginia Tech had 12 steals and only 11 turnovers, half as many miscues as the Cavaliers, and turned the takeaways into 18 points.

The Hokies took their biggest lead of the first half at 34-24 on Collins' inside basket with 3:40 left, but Smith scored eight of his 13 first-half points in a 10-3 Virginia run that made it 37-34 at halftime.