Steve Dykes | US Presswire

Virginia Tech's Hank Thorns (front) and Malcolm Delaney (23) celebrate following the Hokies' win over No. 1 Wake Forest.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- For two years, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team had been desperately seeking a marquee win.

On Wednesday, the Hokies got one -- against No. 1.

The Hokies toppled the nation's top-ranked team for the third time in their history, knocking off previously unbeaten Wake Forest 78-71 at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.

Senior guard A.D. Vassallo, who scored 16 points, threw the ball in the air at the end of the nationally televised game.

"We knew it was a game that we needed to get our NCAA hopes up, and we're glad we got it," he said. "We're a better team right now than people think.

"We don't get that many chances to play a No. 1 team. ... Coming up to this environment and beating an undefeated team makes it even better."

The Hokies had lost 10 straight games against ranked foes, including an 0-6 mark against them last season and an 0-2 mark this season.

Tech's lack of quality wins was one reason the Hokies failed to reap an at-large NCAA tournament bid last season.

"We were dying, ... craving for it," sophomore point guard Hank Thorns, who had four points, four assists and no turnovers, said of getting a marquee win.

Wake (16-1, 3-1 ACC) had risen to No. 1 in the national polls Monday. But the Hokies led the entire second half.

Tech improved to 3-6 against No. 1 teams in the program's history, and beat one on the road for the first time.

"It's a great win for our program," coach Seth Greenberg said. "Now our challenge is not to drink the Kool-Aid."

Tech (13-5, 3-1) beat a No. 1 team for the second time in three years. Greenberg had reminded his players before the game that most of them had not been on the team that upset North Carolina in Blacksburg in January 2007.

The Hokies almost knocked off No. 1 UNC in last year's ACC Tournament, but Tyler Hansbrough made a jumper with eight-tenths of a second left.

"We had so many chances" to beat a ranked team last year, said sophomore point guard Malcolm Delaney, who had 21 points and eight rebounds. "Last year we had the No. 1 team down to the wire and we didn't get the win, so I think that was going through everybody's mind today.

"I kept telling them, 'We can't lose this game.'"

Jeff Allen had 16 points and seven rebounds for Tech, which won for the fourth straight time since falling 69-44 at then-No. 5 Duke.

The Demon Deacons entered the game ranked second in Division I in field-goal percentage defense (36.2 percent), but the Hokies shot 50 percent from the field.

"Our staple all year was our defense. That really let us down tonight," Wake coach Dino Gaudio said.

Tech got mismatches against the taller Demon Deacons, said Delaney. Tech led 34-24 at halftime, and was 10-of-14 from the free-throw line in the first half. Wake did not go to the line in the first half.

"We were getting their big men in foul trouble, and we were moving them," Delaney said. "When people put big lineups out there, I think it's going to be hard to guard us."

Wake also entered the game ranked second nationally in field-goal percentage (51.1 percent), but the Demon Deacons shot just 43.1 percent from the field.

"Coach did a good job switching the defenses up, where they were kind of confused sometimes," Delaney said.

Tech extended its lead to 67-54 on an Allen 3-pointer with 6:24 to go. It was Tech's last basket of the game, but the Hokies held Wake off by going 11-of-21 from the free-throw line the rest of the way.

Wake went on a 12-1 run to cut the lead to 68-66 with 3:25 to go, but Allen made two free throws and Delaney sank one to extend the lead to 71-66.

Jeff Teague (23 points) sank a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 71-69 with 1:47 left, but Delaney made two free throws and Allen and Vassallo each made one to extend the lead to 75-69 with 1:03 to go.

Tech got good play from its supporting cast. Thorns, Cheick Diakite, J.T Thompson and Dorenzo Hudson combined for 21 points.

Virginia Tech MP FG FT R A F PT

Allen 31 6-10 3-7 7 0 3 16

Davila 13 1-1 2-4 1 0 2 4

Thompson 19 3-3 0-0 2 0 4 6

Delaney 37 6-14 8-12 8 3 2 21

Vassallo 39 5-13 4-6 6 4 1 16

Bell 4 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0

Hudson 14 1-3 0-0 1 2 0 3

Thorns 21 1-3 1-2 2 4 2 4

Diakite 22 2-2 4-6 5 0 3 8

Totals 200 25-50 22-37 34 13 17 78

Wake Forest MP FG FT R A F PT

Aminu 33 5-10 0-0 7 1 3 10

Johnson 32 5-11 7-7 5 0 5 18

McFarland 11 0-4 0-2 4 1 5 0

Teague 35 10-16 0-0 5 2 3 23

Williams 29 5-8 2-2 6 0 5 12

Clark 6 0-3 0-0 2 0 0 0

Hale 12 1-4 0-0 1 0 3 3

Smith 25 2-7 1-1 1 4 2 5

Weaver 8 0-1 0-0 2 0 0 0

Woods 9 0-1 0-0 2 0 1 0

Totals 200 28-65 10-12 35 8 27 71

Rebounds include team rebounds.

Score by periods:

Virginia Tech 34 44 -- 78

Wake Forest 24 47 -- 71

3-point goals: Virginia Tech 6-21 (Vassallo 2-7, Thorns 1-2, Hudson 1-3, Allen 1-3, Delaney 1-5, Bell 0-1), Wake Forest 5-16 (Teague 3-5, Hale 1-3, Johnson 1-4, Williams 0-1, Clark 0-1, Smith 0-2).

Turnovers: Virginia Tech 13 (Allen, Delaney 4), Wake Forest 16 (Teague 5).

Blocked shots: Virginia Tech 1 (Diakite), Wake Forest 4 (Johnson, Teague, Weaver, Woods).

Steals: Virginia Tech 7 (Delaney 2), Wake Forest 6 (Aminu 3).

Officials: Cahill, Eades, Dorsey.

Attendance: 14,110.