The Virginia Tech Hokies men’s basketball team is 2-0 after Saturday’s thrilling 107-101 overtime win over the Providence Friars at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Freshman sensation Neoklis Avdalas had his breakout performance, scoring 33 points, while also finishing with six assists and five rebounds in his second collegiate game. Neo shot 13 of 23 from the floor, including five of eight from behind the 3-point line.
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As great as Avdalas was, he had help. Junior forward Amani Hansberry registered his second straight double-double to begin his Virginia Tech career, scoring 17 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Senior forward Tobi Lawal scored only seven points against the Friars, but led all players with 13 rebounds. Lawal led Tech with 20 points in Monday’s season-opening win over Charleston Southern.
The Hokies controlled the first 10 minutes of the game until Providence tied things at 22 at the 10:51 mark. Duncan Powell made a pair of free throws for the Friars with 2:44 remaining to give them a 39-37 lead. Providence would take control before halftime, going into intermission holding a 46-40 lead.
Providence opened up a 7-point lead early in the second half, but Tech quickly scored nine points in a row to retake the lead. The two teams would continue going back and forth over the final 20 minutes. Every time one team would appear to take control, the other would hit a big-time shot. Finally, with five seconds remaining, VT sophomore guard Ben Hammond missed a game-tying shot, but Hansberry was on the scene to tip it in to tie the game and send it into overtime.
The Hokies took control in overtime, when sophomore guard Tyler Johnson’s dunk with 3:23 remaining put Tech up by six points. Providence still wouldn’t go away. After freshman Stefan Vaaks made three free throws, it was a 96-95 game with 2:11 remaining. Hansberry hit a dagger on the other end, knocking down a 3-pointer to push Virginia Tech back up by four. After an Avdalas jumper and a Lawal dunk, the Hokies were back up by six with under a minute left and would not look back.
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This is the kind of win that will look good on VT’s resume come March. The Hokies shot almost 51% from the floor, including 43% from beyond the arc. Senior Jaylen Bedford chipped in 18 points, while Johnson scored 12. Junior guard Jaden Schutt scored 10 off the bench.
The Hokies tightened up their rotation more in this game, with the starting five of Lawal, Hansberry, Avdalas, Bedford and Johnson all playing at least 33 minutes. Freshman center Antonio Dorn made his college debut, playing two minutes and blocking one shot.
Next up for Virginia Tech is a home date against Saint Joseph’s on Wednesday at Cassell Coliseum.
