Freshman guard Hunter Cattoor came off the bench to score 14 points to lead Virginia Tech to a 64-55 win over visiting Virginia Military Institute on Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.

The Hokies survived even though they couldn't shake a VMI team that answered with runs whenever it appeared the game would get out of hand.

Sophomore guard Isaiah Wilkins scored 13 points off the bench for Virginia Tech (9-3), which won its third straight game.

VMI freshman guard Travis Evee led all scorers with 20 points, and freshman guard Kamdyn Curfman added 15 to lead VMI (5-8).

Trailing 26-18 at halftime, VMI started strong in the second half, cutting Virginia Tech's lead to 28-25. The Hokies responded with a 10-2 run to take a 38-27 lead with 13:24 remaining, but the Keydets pulled within 45-39 with 8:42 remaining on Garrett Gilkeson's 3-pointer. It was a seven-point game at 49-42 with 7:15 left.

Virginia Tech answered by building a 57-45 lead with 3:27 left, but VMI once again responded, with Evee and Curfman hitting a pair of 3-pointers in a span of five seconds to make it a 57-51 game.

But VMI missed on a trio of 3-pointers that would have cut into its deficit further, and the Hokies hit three free throws to take a 60-51 lead with 45 seconds remaining.

The first half was a defensive struggle, with the teams combining to make just 17 field goals before halftime.

Virginia Tech did go on a mild flurry toward the end of the first half, going on a 7-0 run to take a 23-13 lead with 3:55 left in the first half before ultimately taking a 26-18 lead at halftime.

--Field Level Media