Virginia Tech got back to its winning ways on Thursday in Cassell Coliseum in its 95-67 rout of North Carolina A&T.
“We’ve lost a couple of close games, a couple of heartbreakers, but we’ve been getting better every time out, so it was nice to come out and just win a game wire to wire,” Tech center Patrick Wessler said.
The Hokies (4-6) snapped a six-game skid against the Aggies (3-7), their first win since Nov. 11 vs. Winthrop — over a month ago. They shot 50 percent (35-of-70) from the field, tied for their best outing of the season, and used an 18-2 binge over three-plus minutes in the second half to pull away.
Tech’s 55 bench points were also the most in the Mike Young era, which included the team’s three leading scorers — Ben Hammond (career-high 17 points), Patrick Wessler (career-high 13) and Rodney Brown Jr. (tied a career-high with 13).
That group played most of the minutes down the stretch after the starters let North Carolina A&T chip into the Hokies’ 20-point lead at the start of the second half. The Aggies closed the first half on a 6-0 run and outscored Tech 5-2 in the first three minutes of the second. As a result, Young subbed four of his five players — all but Ben Burnham — and allowed his second group to turn things around, which it did.
“Really disappointed with the start of the second half,” Young said, “but we righted the ship. I don’t typically substitute wholesale like that, but didn’t think that team had a very good look starting the second and we went with another look and I thought those kids came on and played really well and got the ship righted and we went on from there. … A really nice night from our bench. Need that moving forward.”
Hammond, a true freshman from Paul VI in Fairfax, was impressive with a well-rounded effort that featured 6-of-6 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc, and four assists and five steals.
He’s just 10 games into his college career but his confidence has skyrocketed, and he’s had to play some crucial minutes with Tech’s point guard situation. Though turnovers have been a problem for both him and the team — and it was no different on Thursday night; he and Brandon Rechsteiner combined for seven of the group’s 16 — he’s come along on the offensive end. His best outing entering the day was eight points vs. Michigan in Fort Myers.
“Ben had the two terrible turnovers in the first half,” Young said, “but he found his groove and got the ball in good places and he affected the game with his speed, quickness and quick hands, getting his hands on some balls and getting the other way with it. …
“It’s like anything else — the more you’re a part of it and the more plays you see… I’m not saying the game has begun to slow down for him and [fellow freshman] Tyler Johnson, but 10 games in and those kids have been on the floor a lot. They’ve seen a lot, they’ve experienced a lot and they are coming on and it’s a lot of fun to see.”
Wessler’s seen a steady improvement down low too. Thursday was his first-ever double-digit game — his previous career-best was five points vs. Penn State in Baltimore — and he was 5-of-6 with six boards in 17 minutes. He’s come on as a depth piece on the inside, and that was on display against the Aggies in a very efficient showing.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” Wessler said of his career night. “I’m going to have to give my teammates credit for that, they put me in good spots to score. I think we just had good movement as a team overall and I was able to capitalize off that.”
“Patrick had a really good ball game,” Young said. “Ball-screen coverages were better, and they better be against [Landon] Glasper and [Ryan Forrest].”
It was also the first important action of the year for Brown, who had just two points to his name this season before his performance against the Aggies. Wessler said the Cal transfer has “been on fire the last couple weeks of practice,” and he was that against A&T. Brown was 3-of-5 from behind the arc with a career-high six boards, two assists and a block.
Young mentioned he was banged up for nearly two weeks in the preseason which set him back, but he’s come on strong as of late.
“I’ve been ready to go that route for a bit,” Young said of Brown. “Like life, when you win a job, you earn a job, up to the plate you go and he certainly has done that, and that performance tonight was quite impressive.”
Outside of that trio, it was a balanced effort from Tech. It knocked down 14 3-pointers — its first contest this year with 10-plus threes — while outrebounding A&T 48-30 and notching 24 assists on 35 made baskets.
Eleven different players scored for the Hokies in the blowout. Poteat (11 points) and Tobi Lawal (10 points, seven rebounds) led the starters while Burnham had a nice all-around game with eight points, nine boards, two assists, two blocks and two steals — the first Tech player with that stat line since Justyn Mutts in 2022 vs. Minnesota.
Johnson had another solid outing with seven points, eight rebounds and a career-high five assists. He’s the first Tech true freshman with those numbers since Dorian Finney-Smith on Nov. 15, 2011, vs. Florida International.
Rechsteiner (five assists) and Jaden Schutt (four rebounds) each chipped in six points while Jaydon Young had three points and three assists. Walk-on Conner Venable got in on the action, too, knocking down a free throw with 1:07 remaining for his first collegiate point.
“Well, bless his heart, he’s 1-for-6 from the foul line in his career,” Young said with a laugh. “He just told me that he has more points in a college game than LeBron James.”
“It’s funny because he actually got fouled on a three last year and he didn’t make any free throws,” Wessler said of Venable. “So we were like, ‘This is the moment, you’ve got to do it this time,’ and he finally got it, it’s awesome. I’m really proud of him.”
True freshman forward Ryan Jones Jr. also got some run in the final few minutes. The top-75 prospect from Gainesville, Fla., is slowly coming along but is not quite where Young wants him to be yet.
“Medically, he’s fine,” Young said of Jones. “We had [his body] looked at again. He’s not moving very well and this is a hard game to play when you’re not moving well. The ball-screen coverages, he’s not in great shape yet, but a talented player, one that we need and need to come on. I know he will, he’s a great kid and great attitude, continues to work.”
The Aggies had four double-figure scorers in Glasper (19 points), Forrest (14 points), Jahnathan Lamothe (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Nikolaos Chitikoudis (13 points).
Tech is back in action on Sunday in Cassell Coliseum vs. Navy at 12 p.m. ET (ACC Network Extra), the first game of a doubleheader before the women’s basketball team hosts Radford at 4 p.m. ET.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 95, North Carolina A&T 67
Thoughts from #Hokies' 95-67 win over North Carolina A&T: pic.twitter.com/PxZ4XfP82K
— David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) December 13, 2024