Virginia Tech Survives Scare, Takes Down Charlotte, 84-76

BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech Hokies (4-0) beat the Charlotte 49ers (2-2) at Cassell Coliseum on Nov. 16, 84-76, in a game far closer than expected. The Hokies were heavy favorites (-18.5) entering their third home game of the season, but the visitors were more prepared than most media gave them credit for. Prior to tip-off, it was an anticipated battle between Mike Young’s high-flying offensive schemes and the solid 49er defensive game plan.

Charlotte focused their attention early on taking Neoklis Avdalas out of the game as much as they could. Fans might look at the stat sheet and see a disappointing performance from the Greek guard, but his NBA style in-game tempo made everyone around him better. 

“He’s not gonna be Superman,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. “Neo will continue to improve [and] make adjustments as we go along.”

When Charlotte was engaged with Avdalas, Jalen Bedford quickly took the game by storm with his impressive shot selection and scoring ability. The 6-foot-4 senior was 6-8 from the floor in the first half with 16 points by the 3:20 mark. He finished the game with a season-high 21 points, but, as we have seen all year, he wasn’t the only Hokie with a great offensive performance.

Tobi Lawal registered his third double-double in four games, with 18 points and a season-high of 15 rebounds. His incredible athleticism and physicality inside the paint have been crucial to VT’s success all year. Virginia Tech’s Antonio Dorn played his most minutes in a game all year and was vital on the defensive end to contend with Charlotte’s Anton Bonke. The 7-foot-2 center created chaos inside that led to 17 49ers offensive rebounds and 42 total on the day.

In the second half, the Hokies kept their foot on the gas and furthered the lead to 17 after a Jaden Schutt three-pointer. The junior had 12 on the day, shooting 50% from beyond the arc. The lead slowly withered down, however, as the Niners got within one point of Virginia Tech at the 8:39 mark. Charlotte continued to keep it close, outrebounding the Hokies and creating many second-chance opportunities. Along with their physicality, Charlotte’s motion offense generated six threes in the second half, after going 1-9 in the first.

The game was tight for the next seven minutes, until Tobi Lawal and Neoklis Avdalas each had dunks in the span of 29 seconds. Cassell Coliseum erupted, and they closed the game out properly. Despite only having one turnover in the second half, the Hokies struggled offensively.

They shot 31% from the field due to Charlotte’s well-timed adjustments at half. In the face of adversity, Virginia Tech showed their fans yet again how well they can perform under pressure. 

After a game that certainly gave Virginia Tech more trouble than predicted, Jalen Bedford stays optimistic and has a keen sense of where the team’s head should be. 

“[This] keeps us humble,” Bedford said. “We [are taking it] one game at a time.” At the end of the day, the win is what’s most important, and the fifth-year senior knows that the team must “keep [their] heads up and move onto the next one”.

Virginia Tech retakes the floor at 7 p.m., Nov. 19 to take on Bryant (1-3), who is already familiar with playing on the road this season. The trip to Cassell will make it their fourth trip to opponent soil in five games. With just two days of rest and preparation, Mike Young’s Hokies look to extend their hot start to the season on Wednesday.