It took only one minute, 22 seconds for the Virginia Tech basketball team's season to be put in serious jeopardy. Malcolm Delaney, the leading scorer in the ACC, was injured with an apparent left ankle sprain after falling hard to the floor underneath the Hokies' basket.
At halftime, Tech leads Longwood (3-10) by a score of 43-21.
The actual game is taking a backstage to the story of Delaney's injury. After injuring the ankle, he rolled around in agonizing pain for nearly a minute, even after athletic trainer Chad Hyatt and head coach Seth Greenberg arrived at his side.
Greenberg summoned seldom-used reserve guard Paul Debnam to assist Hyatt in carrying Delaney off the floor. Delaney was unable to put any weight on the injured ankle, as he exited the floor to a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Late in the first half, Delaney was spotted leaving the floor once again on crutches. He was also wearing a protective boot. The initial report is the injury is only a sprain, with x-ray results revealing there ankle is not broken.
The Hokies' leading scorer is Erick Green, who replaced Delaney in the lineup, with 10 points. Ben Boggs has added six points, all from the foul line.
Hyatt has earned more than the worth of his paycheck already today. Five minutes after Delaney's injury, freshman Manny Atkins limped off the court after rolling his ankle. He would return to action later in the half, however.
Three minutes after Atkins' injury, Erick Green was hit hard while attempting a lay-up. He winced in pain, but continued to play, until moments later he was fouled on a three-point play. He continued to display signs of pain to his abdomen, leaving Greenberg no choice but to replace him in the lineup.
Green also returned late in the first half.
With the game's outcome already decided, the most important thing for Greenberg's squad is to make it through the second half with no more injuries, as a trip to Cancun against Seton Hall is only three days away.
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