Neoklis Avdalas paced Virginia Tech with 33 points in Saturday's win over Providence. (Alex Carlson/Basketball Hall of Fame

Virginia Tech grinded out a 107-101 overtime win over Providence in Saturday’s Hall of Fame Series clash at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

“I think they’re an NCAA Tournament team,” Hokies head coach Mike Young said of the Friars, “but I’ve got a pretty good team too, and I look forward to how this unfurls for our team.”

The Hokies (2-0) traded blows with Providence (1-1) throughout regulation and nearly lost at the buzzer when Stefan Vaaks’ 3-point attempt lipped out. However, they responded well in the extra period.

Jailen Bedford’s immediate layup after Tech won the jump ball sparked an 8-2 run, capped off by a dunk from Tyler Johnson, that put the Friars on their heels. And just when it looked like they were going to reclaim the lead, Amani Hansberry knocked down a three from the top of the key to give the Hokies some breathing room.

In a roller coaster of a game that featured 18 ties and 14 lead changes, Tech came out on top for an early-season marquee victory over a Big East foe.

“I think sometimes you get to overtime and it’s a huge disappointment that you’ve let something slip away,” Young said. “Needless to say, we didn’t handle some things down the stretch that we’ll learn from, but I saw a team eager to play more with a legitimate shot to win. I thought [our team] punched first once the thing went into the air for overtime, and that was certainly encouraging to see.”

On the surface, the story was Tech point guard Neoklis Avdalas. The freshman phenom dropped 33 points on 13-for-23 shooting, which included a 5-for-8 mark from beyond the arc, and added six assists and five rebounds.

In the Hokies’ first 30-point game on a neutral floor since Hunter Cattoor’s 31-point performance in the 2022 ACC Tournament final vs. Duke in the Barclays Center, Avdalas was clutch.

He helped Tech jump out to an early 20-12 lead with 17 first-half points, and three of his six field goals after intermission gave his team a lead in what was either a tie game or it trailed.

The Greek star also became the third Hokies freshman with a 30-point outing since the program entered the ACC in 2004, joining Jalen Hudson (2015) and Landers Nolley (2019).

“He’s still coming into his own,” Young said of Avdalas. “He was good today, but this is still growing on him. He’s immensely talented, needless to say. Thirty-three points in a high-level game against a well-coached and good defensive Friar team. He’s got a bit of a one-track mind at times now. …

“He sees it incredibly well, he’s an unbelievable playmaker. That will continue to improve as we go along. … I’m fortunate to coach him and thrilled that he’s in a Hokie uniform.”

Tech had multiple guys step up, though, and few were more impactful than Bedford, who notched 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting and a 3-for-5 mark from 3-point range. Ten of his points came in the first half as he and Avdalas were a combined 11-for-17 while the rest of the team was 3-for-15.

It was more of a well-rounded effort in the second half. Hansberry finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, becoming the school’s first player with a double-double in the first two games of the season since Dennis Mimms in 2000-01. That included his crucial tip-in with five seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime.

Amani Hansberry was clutch on both ends for the Hokies against the Friars. (Alex Carlson/Basketball Hall of Fame)

On the interior, Hansberry and Tobi Lawal (7 points, 13 rebounds) had a quiet first half with just three combined points, but they got going in the second. Tech had 48 points in the paint, 38 of which came after the break.

Johnson also chipped in 12 points, four boards, three assists and three steals while Jaden Schutt posted 10 points and Ben Hammond tallied eight.

On the other side, Providence had four double-figure scorers, including heavyweights Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers. They combined for 54 points — 28 and 26, respectively — on 19-of-28 shooting.

Sellers nailed four triples, as did Estonian import Stefan Vaaks, who scored 17. He took the final shot in regulation that rimmed out — a look that Young expected would go to Edwards.

“I think anybody in the building tells you that Edwards is going to have that ball,” Young said. “And my fear, with 3.8 I think, was that they run Jason up off a zipper cut and he just puts his head down and tries to get fouled, which he’s really good at, he’s elite at. He only shot six foul shots tonight, which is OK.

“But here they run something, a little counter action for Vaaks. That damn thing went in the basket. Damn thing went in. And fortunate enough for us, it popped out of there and we got it to overtime.”

The Friars received a double-double from big man Oswin Erhunmwunse, too, who had 11 points and 11 rebounds to accompany four blocks.

The Hokies finished 50.6 percent from the floor (40-for-79) and 42.9 percent from deep (12-for-28). They were just 68.2 percent from the foul line, though, and only attempted 22 free throws.

Providence made as many as Tech attempted (22-for-25) and was also 44.7 percent from the field (34-for-76) and 33 percent from three (11-for-33).

The Hokies cut down on the turnovers after halftime. They finished with 11, nine of which came in the first half. It was also an even game on the glass — 43-42 in the Friars’ favor.

Tech jumped out to a quick 20-12 lead through the first 6:30, forcing Providence head coach Kim English to call timeout. His team regrouped after that, eventually tying the game, and what was a 37-all contest with 4:48 left in the first turned into a 46-40 Friars lead at the break.

Yet, a swift 9-0 run from the Hokies swung the momentum back in the second half, and it was neck-and-neck the rest of the way until Hansberry’s tip-in that forced overtime. Two separate 6-0 runs in the extra period gave Tech the cushion it needed.

Last season, the Hokies didn’t record a win over a power conference foe until Jan. 4 vs. Miami, which was their 14th contest. After a transformative offseason, they’ve checked that box two games into this year, knocking off a squad picked fourth in the 11-team Big East.

“I think it’s encouraging,” Young said. “I think we beat a really good Big East team.”

Virginia Tech returns to Cassell Coliseum on Wednesday to host Saint Joseph’s at 7 p.m. ET (ACCNX). The Hawks are 2-0 this season with victories over Lafayette and Drexel, and it’s an opportunity for the Hokies to avenge last season’s 82-62 defeat in Philadelphia.

Box Score: Virginia Tech 107, Providence 101 (OT)