Virginia Tech traveled down to Raleigh to take on NC State after a full week off, in a game with increasing importance as the Hokies find themselves on the bubble of the NCAA tournament.
However, the Hokies couldn’t get the job done and fell to the Wolfpack 82-73 after a sloppy first half and the Wolfpack’s strong shooting day.
Virginia Tech’s got off to an uncharacteristic first 10 minutes to start this game, turning the ball over five times in that time span. During that stretch, NC State went on a 14-1 run that allowed them to seize control. The Hokies missed 3 three-pointers and an open dunk by Tobi Lawal during the run.
The Hokies punched back with a 9-0 run supplemented by a Neoklis Avdalas three-pointer, which was his first since the Georgia Tech game.
Avdalas finished the game with 14 points on an efficient 5-for-6 from the field and 2-for-3 beyond the arc. This was his first game over 11 points since the Stanford game. On the flip side, he did have five turnovers with only three assists, which is unlike him for how good of a passer he is.
“[I] thought he was great. It looked more like himself. He was 2-for-3 from three,” Mike Young’s said on Neoklis Avdalas’ game.
Just as the Hokies were finding their groove, they went on a cold spell in the final six minutes of the half. Prior to Lawal’s and-one with 18 seconds left, Virginia Tech hadn’t scored since the 6:19-minute mark. The scoreless mark allowed the Wolfpack to go on a 9-0 run supplemented by two 3’s by Paul McNeil Jr., giving NC State a 36-24 lead at the break.
NC State had a great defensive gameplan for Ben Hammond, who has been VT’s hottest player in conference play. The Wolfpack hounded Hammond early on and got him fatigued as they held him to zero points on 0-for-9 shooting.
“They want to take the ball out of his hands. They want somebody else to bring up the floor, which we've seen,” Mike Young said on NC State’s gameplan against Hammond. “As good as he's been, he wasn't great today. That will change direction here quickly. He's really good.”
The second half was eerily similar to their game against No. 4 Duke, where they had brought the game within distance to come back but didn’t capitalize on their opportunities to swing momentum fully.
Avdalas started the half with a shot from beyond the arc, but McNeil Jr. immediately responded with three free throws after being fouled by Ben Hammond. Both teams went back and forth to open the half as Tech brought the game within six with Lawal and Amani Hansberry in the paint.
Virginia Tech’s frontcourt had a much better second half compared to their first half. Amani Hansberry had 16 points in the second half after having only three in the first half, totaling 19 in the game. Tobi Lawal finished with 17 points and 15 boards, totaling 12 points and nine rebounds in the second half.
Tre Holloman would then respond with a three-pointer to put the deficit back up to 12.
A few minutes later Matt Able connected on a three to make it a 13-point lead. Tech then responded with a layup and free throws by Hansberry, a bucket by Christian Gurdak, and back-to-back three-pointers by Jaden Schutt to bring the game within three, but that would be the closest the Hokies came all game to coming back.
Following that 12-1 run, Paul McNeil Jr. took the wind out of Virginia Tech’s sails with a three-point shot, two free throws, and then another shot beyond the arc.
In the second half, NC State’s signature three-point shooting came into play as the Wolfpack went 9-for-21 in the game. Paul McNeil finished the game 4-for-7 from three for 21 points, and Tre Holloman was 3-for-5, finishing with 16 points. NC State came in with one of the best three-point shooting teams in the ACC, and Virginia Tech had one of the best three-point shooting defenses in the ACC, but the Wolfpack’s shooting won that battle.
Following McNeil's eight points in just over a minute, the Wolfpack were able to cruise their way to a sixth straight with an 82-73 win.
Along with Holloman and McNeil Jr.’s performances, Qaudir Copeland had an impressive outing for the Wolfpack, totaling 21 points, 10 assists, and five steals. He also surpassed the one thousand points mark for his career
Those three were big with State’s leading scorer Darrion Williams being held to 1-for-9 shooting on his way to having four points.
Virginia Tech now enters a crucial final stretch looking to boost their resume. The silver lining is that this game could be the step for Neoklis Avdalas to get his confidence back for the final month, along with Tyler Johnson’s return likely being on the horizon.
The Hokies now gear up for a top-25 conference matchup at No. 20 Clemson this Wednesday.
