On Saturday, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team lost to No. 13 Virginia with a final score of 76-72 in Charlottesville. This defeat brings the Hokies’ regular season record to 19-12 as they prepare for the upcoming T. Rowe Price ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Charlotte.
Virginia started strong, scoring nine points in the first two minutes and forcing an early timeout from Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers maintained their momentum, leading 14-3 at the first media timeout after making three out of four three-point attempts and capitalizing on three turnovers by the Hokies.
Despite falling behind by as many as 17 points at 22-5, Virginia Tech responded with a series of layups from Ben Hammond and a jumper by Amani Hansberry that sparked a 6-0 run. The Hokies continued to cut into the deficit with a larger 13-3 run before halftime but still trailed 41-26 at the break. Hammond led his team with 11 points on four-for-eight shooting during the first half.
In the second half, Virginia Tech opened with seven straight points, including a three-pointer from Hansberry, a dunk by Tobi Lawal, and a layup from Jailen Bedford. The Hokies hit their first three shots from beyond the arc after halftime to fuel their comeback effort.
Neoklis Avalas tied the game at 51 with two free throws just under eleven minutes remaining. However, Virginia regained control after Virginia Tech missed its next four shots while allowing eight unanswered points from their opponent.
The Cavaliers secured their win with twelve made free throws in the second half. Although Virginia Tech managed to reduce what was once a nine-point gap in the final minute and a half through pressing defense, it was not enough to overcome Virginia’s lead.
This result awards Virginia an additional half point in this year’s Commonwealth Clash presented by Smithfield, bringing their current advantage over Virginia Tech to 10.0–4.0 overall (more details can be found at hokiesports.com/commonwealth-clash).
Next week, Virginia Tech will compete in Charlotte at Spectrum Center for the T. Rowe Price ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament scheduled for March 10–14.
