November 20, 2001

Virginia Tech took advantage of its size inside and its athleticism to hammer Rhode Island 86-63 in front of 1,528 fans at Cassell Coliseum. The game marked the 500th played at Cassell Coliseum.

With the win, Tech improved to 2-0 on the season, while the game was the season opener for the Rams.

The Hokies, who shot 55 percent in the game, went inside to Terry Taylor and Carlton Carter early against the undersized Rams. Taylor finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Carter added eight points and eight rebounds.

The Hokies outrebounded the Rams 45-19 and outscored the Rams 50-28 in the paint.

"We knew they were not that big so we concentrated on getting the ball inside," Tech head coach Ricky Stokes said. "I thought we did a good job of that."

Carlos Dixon led Tech with a game-high 17 points and six assists. Joe Hamilton added 14 points off the bench, while both Brian Chase and Bryant Matthews finished with nine apiece.

The Rams shot just 39.6 percent from the floor and committed 20 turnovers. The Hokies committed 27 turnovers, but their edge on the boards, which included 16 offensive rebounds, made the difference.

Tech hits the road for the first time this season when it travels to Old Dominion this upcoming Saturday.