Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball Erupts in Second Half to Claim Victory over CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 

Kaden Reinhard

Staff Writer

November 4, 2025

BLACKSBURG, Va – On Monday, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball season kicked off in Cassell Coliseum in a matchup where the Hokies dominated the second half, securing the opening night victory, 98-67.

Of the four returning players under head coach Mike Young’s program, senior Tobi Lawal and sophomore Tyler Johnson were the two to start for the Hokies (1-0) against the Buccaneers (0-1).

The waxing minutes of the contest produced a dead-locked back-and-forth scoring affair, where Tech was the more efficient side, scoring physically in the paint and in the mid-range. 

Charleston Southern set a three-point prowess early, with graduate student Jesse Hafemeister alongside Gulf Coast State transfer Brycen Blaine connecting on two of their first three shots within three minutes. 

“Credit to Charleston Southern,” said Young. “They beat us on some actions that we were not prepared for, and they ran it with great pace.”

The Hokies were inconsistent from beyond-the-arc to open the season, just nabbing a single make in the first 13 minutes of action from West Virginia junior transfer Amani Hansberry. The Buccaneers allowed Hansberry free range from the top of the key, and he just needed to find his shot.  

“I work on these shots all of the time,” said Hansberry. “Before practice, during practice, after practice… so just having that next shot mentality and just keep shooting with confidence… it’s a huge part of my game, I think it will open up a lot for the offense.”

Without the reliable touch from deep, Young needed to get his offense scoring in the interior. To get his offense flowing, Young used a variety of off-ball movement, particularly a wrap from the corner, around the ball-handler at the top of the key to create space at the top of the paint.

Tech’s accrued its largest lead of the first half when it was on the healthy end of a twelve-point swing. The run, capped off by an outside drain from redshirt junior Jaden Schutt, was the last time the Hokies trailed Charleston Southern.

The Buccaneers were able to bring the deficit back to a manageable four points entering halftime (42-38), after the jumpshots were still connecting from deep. Blaine, Charleston Southern’s leading scorer, entered the half with four makes of his own from behind-the-stripe; doubling the Hokie’s total (2-13).

“Our team, we battled in the first half,” Buccaneers head coach Saah Nimley said. “I didn’t think we executed well offensively the entire game, I think we just made some shots early, but our execution was pretty poor.”

The lack of execution was evident, as in the second half, fewer shots started to fall for Charleston Southern as the deficit grew with each bucket that Tech was cashing in on. 

At the same time, the Hokies were finding their stride with each shot attempt, starting the second half on a 24-point run. Even if the attempts rained futile, Hansberry and Lawal led a dominant second-half on the offensive glass.

“We’re bigger,” said Young. “Lawal jumps over the moon, Amani’s got great hands and long arms; he plays a lot bigger than his 6’8 frame.”

Hansberry and Lawal’s charge allowed Tech to outscore Charleston Southern 25-8 on second chance looks - an important stat if the Hokies cannot find full stride from three-point range.

As Tech crashed for each offensive rebound, that clogged the paint, allowing easy access to draw fouls and reach the line. Lawal’s strength took him to the charity stripe six times in the contest, cashing in for ten of his attempts; he finished as the Hokies’ leading scorer with 20.

“That’s just part of the God-given ability that I’ve got, being able to do that [be physical],” said Lawal. “So [if] I put a little pressure at the rim, I'm either going to score, or I’m going to get fouled.”

Tech brought a battered three point shooting percentage in the first half (15.4%) back after halftime, nearly shooting 50-percent (7-15). Greek freshman Neoklis Avdalas never found the same comfortability behind-the-arc, finishing the night just one-for-six in such shots.

Avdalas’ remained a key part of the Hokies squad on both sides of the court, as he picked up two blocks, which sent Cassell into a frenzy for each and dished out nine assists.

“He’s just so anxious to get going offensively, we need him to score some, but he’s such a difference maker with his passing and playmaking,” said Young. “He can really spray the thing around.”

Tech is back in action on Saturday, November 8, in a neutral-sited matchup against the Providence Friars. Both squads are looking to make a run at their first NCAA tournament since 2022. The matchup tips off at 4 p.m. ET, with coverage available on Peacock.