Virginia Tech continued its strong start to the 2026-27 men’s basketball season Thursday night, cruising past Mercer 96-67 at Cassell Coliseum behind a dominant first-half performance and another impressive showing from senior forward Amani Hansberry.
The Hokies improved to 2-0 on the season, while Mercer fell to 1-1. Virginia Tech had four players finish in double figures, led by Hansberry’s game-high 23 points, as Mike Young’s squad controlled the contest for much of the evening.
Despite a relatively competitive opening few minutes, Virginia Tech quickly established control. Mercer pulled within two points at 11-9 with 14:55 remaining in the first half, but the Hokies responded with an offensive explosion that effectively put the game out of reach before halftime.
Virginia Tech outscored Mercer 32-7 over the ensuing stretch, including separate runs of 13-0 and 8-0, building a commanding 43-16 advantage with just over three minutes remaining in the opening period.
The Hokies entered halftime leading 47-28, with Hansberry and guards Ben Hammond and Jaylen Curry accounting for 32 of their 47 first-half points.
Hansberry was particularly effective throughout the contest, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. The senior has taken on a slightly different role to begin the season, spending more time at power forward after playing primarily at center during the 2025-26 campaign.
The adjustment has paid early dividends, allowing Hansberry to exploit mismatches offensively while remaining active on the glass.
Hammond continued his impressive start to the season, contributing 16 points, five steals, four assists and two rebounds. After recording seven steals in Virginia Tech’s season-opening victory over Coppin State, Hammond added another five Thursday, giving him 12 through the team’s first two games.
Curry, meanwhile, finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Although he struggled with his shooting, converting just four of his 15 attempts, the sophomore guard made significant improvements in ball security.
After committing six turnovers in the season opener, Curry finished Thursday’s contest without a single turnover.
That improvement extended throughout the Virginia Tech lineup. After turning the ball over 14 times against Coppin State, the Hokies committed just four turnovers against Mercer, an encouraging development as the team prepares for tougher competition.
Virginia Tech’s defense was equally impressive during the opening half, forcing 14 Mercer turnovers, including seven steals, before the break.
However, the second half was considerably less comfortable for the Hokies.
Mercer opened the period on a 7-0 run, while Virginia Tech struggled with foul trouble almost immediately. The Hokies committed seven fouls in the opening 2:03 of the second half, sending Mercer into the bonus with nearly 18 minutes remaining.
The Bears capitalized on the increased opportunities, improving their shooting percentage and limiting turnovers as they attempted to cut into Virginia Tech’s substantial advantage.
Mercer managed to reduce the deficit to 15 points, but the Hokies never allowed the visitors to seriously threaten their lead.
Virginia Tech eventually regained control, extending its advantage to as many as 31 points before Young emptied his bench during the closing minutes.
The Hokies finished the contest shooting 48.6% from the field, connecting on 34 of their 70 attempts. They also made eight 3-pointers on 22 attempts.
Isaiah Elohim provided a spark in the second half, scoring all 11 of his points after halftime on 4-of-6 shooting.
Tyler Johnson delivered another productive performance off the bench, finishing with eight points and a game-high nine rebounds. Johnson, who missed significant time last season with a broken fibula, has emerged as an important contributor through the Hokies’ first two contests.
Veteran guard Efrem Johnson also made his presence felt, knocking down three 3-pointers to finish with nine points.
For Mercer, KJ LaMonte led the way with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting, adding five assists and four rebounds. However, his six turnovers contributed to the Bears’ struggles against Virginia Tech’s defensive pressure.
Mercer finished with 18 turnovers, compared to just four for Virginia Tech, highlighting one of the most significant differences between the two teams.
With two convincing victories to open the season, Virginia Tech now faces its first major test of the young campaign.
The Hokies will travel to Sioux City, Iowa, on Tuesday for a neutral-site matchup against Iowa at the Tyson Events Center.
The Hawkeyes, coming off an Elite Eight appearance last season, will provide a considerably tougher challenge for Young’s squad as Virginia Tech looks to carry its early momentum into its first significant nonconference matchup.
