Virginia Tech took care of Maryland Eastern Shore 82-53 for its fourth straight win on Sunday afternoon in Blacksburg.
The Hokies (10-2) had five double-figure scorers and pulled away from the Hawks (4-11) in the second half. Their record through 12 games ties their second-best start under head coach Mike Young, matching the 2020-21 team.
“Izaiah Pasha has an opportunity and makes the most of it,” Young said. “Christian Gurdak did a nice job, Sin’Cere Jones did a nice job. So in that regard, pleased, but a little nervous because of the injury situation, but get through here and I think we’ll have Bedford back for the Elon game, Dorn will have an opportunity to make improvements with his lower back issue, nothing serious.”
Neoklis Avdalas led Tech in scoring with 16 points on 4-for-9 shooting to go with his 6-for-8 mark from the foul line. He knocked down two 3-pointers and also dished out seven assists and snagged three steals.
The Greek guard had an injury scare with 38 seconds left in the first half when he dove for a loose ball in the frontcourt and took a minute to get back on his feet. He hobbled over to the bench and then back to the locker room, but he returned in the second half and played 12 minutes.
“Neo got hurt diving for a loose ball there early,” Young said. “Got back to the locker room and [trainer] Hisham [Ziyout] and Dr. [Greg] Beato took a look at him and he felt fine, and I thought he played another really good ballgame for our team.”
Freshman center Christian Gurdak was impressive in 25 minutes, posting 13 points and eight boards on 5-for-5 shooting, which featured two and-one opportunities off of tip-ins.
“[It’s a] lot of positioning,” Gurdak said. “Before the shot goes up, is he open, is he not open? So you can seal them or wedge them early so he’s under the rim and you have the whole backside for offensive rebounds. A lot of that, and then just having that dog [in you] and wanting to go get it.”
The freshman from Gonzaga in Washington, D.C., played a bigger role due to German seven-footer Antonio Dorn reaggravating his back in the first four minutes when he bumped around with the Hawks’ Joseph Locandro. It’s a “muscular injury in his lower back,” per Young, that he originally suffered on Thursday vs. Western Carolina.
“He’s got great hands,” Young said of Gurdak. “His offensive rebounding far exceeds his defensive rebounding. He’s got to do a better job of rebounding outside of his area. His balance, for whatever reason, he gave up a couple of defensive rebounds, but I take nothing away from Christian, his effort.
“You know what you’re going to get, he’s going to play really hard. He’s got to screen better. He’s a joy to coach and proud of him. … Very, very good job from Christian Gurdak on an afternoon without Dorn where we really needed it.”
Tech received solid contributions from its usual trio of Amani Hansberry (12 points, nine rebounds, three assists), Tyler Johnson (12 points, five rebounds, three steals) and Ben Hammond (10 points, four assists). The surprise, though, was Izaiah Pasha.
The reigning CAA Rookie of the Year transferred to the Hokies from Delaware in the offseason but struggled to find a spot in the rotation until Sunday. With starting guard Jailen Bedford out with an illness — Young described it as an “upper-respiratory issue” and expects him back next Saturday vs. Elon — Pasha had a giant opportunity and seized it.
Tech’s leader in plus-minus at 24 (with Gurdak not far behind at 22), Pasha played a season-high 27 minutes and thrived, racking up seven points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals without turning the ball over.
“He made the most of it,” Young said of Pasha. “Now, to build on that, we’ve got Elon next week before we head to a break, and he’ll be in there early. I may even go with Hammond, Schutt and Pasha at the same time, but that’s what happens. You prove yourself and don’t turn it over, share, make the right play, compete defensively, you get another bite at the apple. Now do it again, and again, and again.
“That would be a real boost for our team, having that flexibility and that depth in the backcourt as we … head into league play here very shortly.
Pasha made his first 3-pointer in a Tech uniform off a dish from Hansberry and had a ferocious one-handed slam to cap off the victory. He also distributed it well. The Harrisburg, Pa., native had a dime in transition that led to an Avdalas dunk, a backdoor pass to Jones for a two-handed slam and a skip pass that set up Johnson for a wide-open three.
“The biggest thing is just taking advantage of my opportunity,” Pasha said. “I want to give a shoutout to Coach J.D. [Byers] for keeping my head right, keeping me confident on the bench and just being a team player. … [He told me] just always be ready for your moment. Stay in the gym, practice and play as hard as you can, and the biggest thing is just stay confident. Don’t allow yourself to get down. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.”
It was a good stage to get Pasha, Gurdak and Jones — who had four points and three rebounds in nine minutes — some meaningful action.
It was a tight contest for the first 15 minutes before the Hokies pulled away via a 10-0 run, courtesy of a Hansberry triple, a coast-to-coast layup from Pasha, a Johnson three and a Hammond layup. They led by nine at halftime, 38-29, and kept their foot on the gas in the second half.
After the Hawks made a 46 percent clip (12-for-26) in the first half, Virginia Tech allowed just a 29 percent mark (9-for-31) in the second and outscored them 44-24 as it ran away with the game.
On the other side, the Hokies were 31-for-57 (54%) from the field and 11-for-24 (46%) from long range. They also finished with 24 assists on their 31 makes.
“We had 13 [assists] on 16 makes in the first half,” Young said. “That’s the way the game’s supposed to be played. That’s sharing, that’s turning down a good shot for a great shot. Hansberry helps with that, he’s such an elite passer and offensive connector, but that is quite pleasing. That is a three-to-one for the game, that’s pretty awesome.”
Tech is back in action in six days vs. Elon (6-4) on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, its final non-conference game of the season. It’s the first meeting between the Hokies and Phoenix since Nov. 26, 2008.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 82, Maryland Eastern Shore 53