Blacksburg - Jaden Schutt lit up Cassell Coliseum with 18 points on a career-high six threes to push Virginia Tech to a 73-62 win over the previously unbeaten George Mason Patriots (9-1) on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Schutt’s six triples are the most any Hokie has made since Jan. 10, 2024 when Sean Pedulla drained six to lead Virginia Tech to an 87-72 upset over No. 21 Clemson. Schutt has now found double figures in four straight games and made at least one three in every game this season.
“Schutt had one of those nights where everything he shot went in the basket,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. “That never upsets the head coach. I can assure you that…When that leather hits his hands, he’s ready to roll.”
George Mason led 26-24 with 5:53 remaining in the first half. Over roughly the next 11 minutes, Tech rattled off a 36-13 run culminating in two consecutive Schutt triples to put it up 60-37 with 14:47 to go.
That stretch included a 14-2 run to end the first half. With 3:33 left in the half, Neoklis Avdalas (six points, six assists) found a rolling Amani Hansberry (15 points, seven rebounds, six assists) off the screen, who spun and converted a tough lefty layup.
The following play, Schutt took a handoff from Hansberry and drained a curling three pointer. Avdalas then won a scramble for a loose ball and outleted it to Tyler Johnson, who eventually found Schutt in the right corner for another trey.
Two possessions later, Schutt took it to the hoop, kicked it out to Johnson and relocated to the right corner where he got it back and drained another three.
With the crowd louder than it’s been all season after another stop, Schutt faked a deep three and fired it cross-court to Hansberry, who found Avdalas on a one-more for Virginia Tech’s fourth straight triple. This gave it a 43-30 lead heading into the break.
“Our defense really started (the run),” Johnson said. “We weren’t even running plays. It was just getting J-Schutt shots or getting whoever open and making the right play.”
George Mason entered the afternoon as one of the most efficient offenses in the country. Tech held it to just 40% from the field and 33% from deep - both marks well below its season average.
Virginia Tech, meanwhile, shot 47% from the floor and 36% from long range. Both of those numbers went down as the Patriots rallied in the waning minutes.
“Basically stop their two main scorers,” Johnson said of the Hokies defensive game plan. "Being men out there. Guarding the ball and not letting one man beat us.”
Mason’s leading scorer Kory Mincy dropped an efficient 16 points, but fell three points short of his season average and was unable to really take over the game. Jahari Long had just 10 points on 3-for-8 shooting.
The Hokies once again relied on their depth to pick up this crucial win, with 30 points off of the bench.
“Ben Hammond (10 points) and Jaden Schutt are starters,” Young said. “Let me assure you this. Jaden Schutt is probably going to finish a lot of games and that is a lot more important to me as a player. Ben Hammond is going to finish a lot of games. I like the rotation that we have right now.”
Hammond and his ball security is one of the reasons Virginia Tech ranks among the best in the country at limiting turnovers. Tonight, they turned it over nine times compared to 16 assists. It has only turned it over more than 10 times twice this season - once in an overtime win against Providence and again in a loss to VCU in the Bahamas.
Johnson bounced back after a scoreless night against South Carolina with 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting. As always he cleaned up the glass (five rebounds) and played excellent defense.
“Probably as good of a performance we’ve had defensively from start to finish,” Young said.
Virginia Tech returns to Cassell Coliseum at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11 as it takes on Western Carolina (4-5).
