Virginia Tech (16-6, 5-4 ACC) avoided another late-game disaster in their 71-65 win against Georgia Tech (11-10, 2-6 ACC). It was an important win for the Hokies to avoid a bad loss that .
Tobi Lawal was named the starter for the first time since he returned from injury earlier this month, replacing Christian Gurdak in the starting five. In his return to the starting lineup, he posted 10 points, five rebounds, and three blocks before fouling out with 2:38 left in the game.
Lawal’s running partner in Hansberry was also inefficient in this game, only having five points, but stuffed the stat sheet in other ways for good and bad. He had eight rebounds, two blocks, and three steals but also had three turnovers and four fouls, only allowing him to play 25 minutes.
The Yellow Jackets were missing Akai Fleming and Mohamed Sylla, who were both averaging over nine points with Sylla specifically leading the team with 7.2 rebounds per game. Their absence definitely appeared to have an impact on this game
To start, it may have seemed like one of those games where somebody blanks out while shooting and can’t miss, and it started that way for Georgia Tech’s Kam Craft, who started the game on a 9-0 run. All three-pointers were contested, and the final one saw him fall to the ground as he looked up at another who made three.
After Craft’s hot start, he only added two more points, ending with 11 points and four rebounds on the night. He went 1-4 (25%) after starting the game 3-3.
The first half was a game of runs. Craft started it with his 9-0 run, then was answered with a Virginia Tech 12-0 run, a run supplemented by three-pointers from Ben Hammond and Neoklis Avdalas plus four points from Christian Gurdak.
After some back-and-forth moments, the Yellow Jackets had an 8-0 run, followed by a 16-6 run for the Hokies to end the half, giving Virginia Tech a 36-30 lead.
In the second half, the Hokies got off to a fast start, with a Jailen Bedford three-pointer and fantastic dunks from Tobi Lawal and Bedford. The Hokies' high-flying basketball was followed by back-to-back three-pointers from Ben Hammond, separating the teams by 13 points.
The highest lead the Hokies sought was 15 points at the 4:26 minute mark after free throws from Hammond and Lawal.
While a 15-point lead with five minutes left seems to be the dagger for most teams, the late-game collapses have been the story for the Hokies in ACC play.
This time it wasn’t confusing turnovers, despite the Hokies doubling their turnovers in the last five minutes, but missed shots on open looks. The Yellow Jackets had an 11-point run, and in between their scoring were four missed three-pointers split between Avdalas and Bedford.
In the end, the Hokies held off the Yellow Jackets with clutch free throws by Hammond to seal the victory.
Ben Hammond led the team with 20 points with three rebounds and assists. He shot the ball at a 50% clip from the field on 12 shots and went 3-5 (60%) from beyond the arc. Hammond has turned out to be a go-to player for the Hokies as of late, as he’s averaging 16.6 points per game in conference play.
Despite the not-so-great formula, the Hokies pick up a big win before they host No. 4 Duke this Saturday at Cassell Coliseum.
