Hokies Cruise To 82-47 Thumping Of Maine

Carter Hill

Staff Writer

November 10, 2021

BLACKSBURG — It had been 615 days since Cassell Coliseum had come alive. Six-hundred-fifteen days since Virginia Tech’s fan base could flood the tightly compacted portals, concession lines, and restrooms after the final buzzer had sounded.

But on Tuesday night, that all changed. As the Hokies (1-0) used methodical ball movement, three-point sharpshooting, and a suffocating defensive effort to cruise past Maine (0-1) by a final score of 82-47 in front of 6,473 fans.

There were times though when just above 6,000 felt like 16,000. An early triple from Naheim Alleyne during the chorus of Metallica’s Enter Sandman had the building buzzing early. And an Alleyne lob to Justyn Mutts just moments later for a two-hand flush nearly tore the roof off of the near-60 year old venue.

The Blackbears were forced to call a timeout. They knew. The Hokies knew. Everyone else in that building knew. That “The Cassell” was back. And you could feel the preseason momentum Tech has acquired seething through the building all evening long.

“It was awesome,” head coach Mike Young said regarding the crowd. “I’m so appreciative of our student section. Those guys are just remarkable. To think back almost to the day (a year ago), we played Radford (to open up the season), and it was so strange, such a surreal feeling, no one was here, there was no energy.

When I think of Cassell Coliseum I think of energy, I think of enthusiasm. It was so much fun to see that big in this grand ole building again.”

Forward Justyn Mutts felt the same way.

“It was a different type of energy...that’s college basketball,” the New Jersey native said. “Just feeling the love that they give, then giving that love back. It’s all reciprocated, this year’s going to be a fun year.”

It was both Mutts and sophomore David N'Guessan’s first ever experience playing in front of a colluded Cassell Coliseum. And both couldn’t keep a smile off their face when talking about the exhilarating atmosphere.

“It was great, my first time experiencing it,” N’Guessan added. “A great atmosphere, great energy.”

Both Mutts and N’Guessan tied for a team-high 15 points on Tuesday night. With N’Guessan totaling a career-high and also drilling his first triple of his collegiate career, something he’s been working to add to his game all offseason long.

“He just has a greater level of comfort,” said the Hokies’ head coach, now in his third-year as VT’s head coach when talking about the Netherlands native. “He’s bigger and stronger. He’s a very serious basketball player, really worked on his game...I thought he played a whale of a game for us.”

“I just was going with the flow, playing my role, doing my job,” N’Guessan said. “I was making shots and my teammates were able to find me in the right spots.”

Only one other Hokie scored in double-figures with Alleyne adding 13 points of his own. But with nine total guys dressed in maroon and orange tallying into the box score, it made for a strong night for this lethal Virginia Tech offense.

Star players Keve Aluma and Storm Murphy only put up a combined 13 points, but were bailed out with the showing of two international talents in N’Guessan and Nigeria native John Ojiako.

“His time is here,” Young said of Ojiako, who added nine points and four rebounds in 12 minutes of play. “He’s worked at it and put himself in position to help this team.”

Sophomore Darius Maddox also totaled nine points for the Hokies. The former Oak Hill academy star showed some major glimpses of his uncharted potential, and could be a huge help to Tech’s depth on the wing throughout the upcoming season.

Aluma, who only played 18 minutes without securing a rebound, has been dealing with a “sore back,” according to Young. “He got whacked in practice. It’s not a spasm, he’s just a little sore.”

Tech fans have no need to worry though, the reigning ACC Coach of the Year said that his time on the floor was “not indicative of the seriousness of his injury.”

Instead, the lack of the Preseason All-ACC pick’s presence was due to foul trouble. And more-so to continue to get Ojiako more in-game reps after missing the majority of last season with a nagging foot issue.

“I thought John needed those minutes in a game that wasn’t going to be real close,” Young said.

All in all, it was an all around stellar night for this Virginia Tech team. The Hokies shot 53% from the field, 43% from three, and forced 19 turnovers in a dominant opening-night performance from Mike Young’s team.

It was a tune-up game, it was a temperature check, it was a night of celebration. That’s the feeling that resided inside Cassell Coliseum throughout the duration of the evening.

The Hokies can celebrate this one for a little, but they’ll have quite a test this upcoming Friday. Tech will travel to Annapolis, Maryland to face off against a Navy team that just upset No. 25 Virginia in Charlottesville.

Mike Young knows his team will be challenged.

“You know they’re going to play really hard, you know they’re going to scratch and claw for everything, nothing is going to be easy,” he said. “We’ll have our hands full.”