Virginia Tech came up with big plays down the stretch Monday night and held off visiting Winthrop 58-52 in a men’s basketball defensive struggle. The Eagles (2-1) led at halftime, were tied midway in the second half, and had a chance to tie the game in the final minute.

Despite trailing at halftime, the Hokies rebounded over the final 20 minutes to secure a 58-52 victory on Monday night. The Eagles shot just 34.5 percent from the floor (20-58), but the Hokies let the visitors hang around by making just 33.

Defense Virginia Tech played very well on defense in the first quarter, forcing multiple turnovers and causing Winthrop to get off to a slow shooting start.