Virginia Tech knew that if they wanted to beat Colorado State, one of the things they had to do was limit their three-point shooting, as the Rams ranked fourth in the country entering today via a 44.9% shooting percentage from deep. Tech did just that today, holding the Rams to only 4-19 from three-point range on their way to a quality opening victory at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
The Hokies beat Colorado State 66-64 to improve to 6-0 on the season while the Rams fell to 4-2. Tech will face the winner of Saint Mary's and Wichita State tomorrow at approximately 2:30pm EST on ESPN (or 30 minutes after Vandy-VCU) in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
This wasn't a pretty performance for the Hokies as their offense wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders in this game. Tech did shoot 45.1% in this game but only 31.8% from three-point range as Tech didn't get as many quality shots as they likely hoped to get. However, they did a great job limiting the Rams, holding them to only 4-19 from three-point range and 45.8% from the field overall.
Tech did a great job of getting to the free-throw line, going 13-16 from the free-throw line while the Rams were 6-8 despite having the best free-throw shooting percentage (85.6%) and 22nd most free-throw attempts per game (29.2). Add in the fact that Tech had only eight turnovers compared to 11 for Colorado State and you can see how the Hokies managed to get this victory.
Another key moment for the Hokies came in the latter 8 minutes of the first half when they went on a 19-4 run that obviously proved crucial in the final outcome. That was the one stretch of play where the Hokies' offense was truly firing on all cylinders and allowed VT to gain a lead that they would never relinquish, even as Colorado State chipped away at it throughout the second half.
Tech's interior play was disappointing as Colorado State had a 44-28 points in the paint edge with Amani Hansberry and Tobi Lawal being held to 3-9 from inside the arc and only six rebounds with Lawal playing only 15 minutes due to foul trouble. Tech was also dominated in offensive rebounds 11-5 with three of Tech's five offensive rebounds being on the same possession. That led to a 14-4 second chance points edge for the Rams that almost cost them.
The player that bailed Tech out the most in this one was Jailen Bedford, who had a team-high 17 points and four rebounds on an efficient 7-9 from the field including 1-2 from three-point range plus 2-3 from the free-throw line. Bedford was consistently able to drive and get to the rim down the stretch, especially when the game got tight to give the Hokies breathing room and help them survive.
Neoklis Avdalas went down early with a lower leg injury when he slipped on the court, but was able to return despite initial fears about what the injury could be. He had an up-and-down game but did enough to help VT win with 13 points on 5-9 from the field including 3-6 from three-point range plus two assists and two rebounds, those his three turnovers were less than ideal.
Tyler Johnson did it all for the Hokies with nine points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks as he continues to improve after a promising freshman season. Ben Hammond had one of his best game of the season with nine points and three assists off the bench while Jaden Schutt had five points.
Amani Hansberry had a quieter night with 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists on a poor 2-8 from the field but 6-6 from the free-throw line. Foul trouble gave Tobi Lawal fits as he was limited to 15 minutes and only had three points and two rebounds, though his lack of playing time could mean he's more rested for tomorrow's game. Christian Gurdak added two rebounds off the bench.
Carey Booth led Colorado State with 15 points and four rebounds while Rashaan Mbemba had 12 points and four rebounds, and their leading scorer Kyle Jorgensen had only 11 points plus nine rebounds. Former VT PG Brandon Rechsteiner was held scoreless in 28 minutes of action after entering this game averaging 13.2 points per game.
This wasn't a pretty performance for the Hokies, but was a case of Virginia Tech simply finding ways to get a victory against a quality opponent in Colorado State to stay undefeated. The Hokies will likely face a tougher test tomorrow against either Saint Mary's or Wichita State, but that game will also present another chance to add another quality win to continue to build their resume.
