The Virginia Tech Hokies defeated the Colorado State Rams on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the Marriott Bonvoy Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Rams controlled much of the first half until
around 5:48 remaining, when Hokies guard Ben Hammond’s layup gave Tech a 21-19 lead. A Neoklis Avdalas’ 3-pointer would extend VT’s lead to 12 points, making it a 33-21 game. However, Colorado State stayed within striking distance and closed the gap to seven points at halftime.
The Hokies would control the rest of the game, but it wasn’t easy. Every time it appeared that Tech was about to pull away, CSU closed the gap to one possession. This happened multiple times throughout the game. In the final minutes, the Hokies opened up a six-point lead, and it again looked like this would be over. Ultimately, it came down to the final possession.
Virginia Tech senior guard Jailen Bedford went to the free-throw line with 16 seconds left and missed the front end of a one-and-one. The Rams would have a final possession to either tie or win the game. Instead of going to the basket and playing for the tie, Josh Pascarelli went for the win, attempting a 3-pointer with three seconds remaining. He missed, and Virginia Tech junior forward came away with a strong rebound to ice the win.
It wasn’t easy, but it was the type of win this team needed. The Rams entered Wednesday’s game with a 4-1 record. With the victory, Virginia Tech improved to 6-0 and will face Saint Mary’s in the semifinals on Thanksgiving Day at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Bedford led the Hokies with 17 points, while Avdalas scored 13 and Hansberry added 10.
Former Virginia Tech guard Brandon Rechsteiner started for the Rams, played 27 minutes and did not score. Rechsteiner missed all five shots from the floor and turned the ball over three times. He spent the last two seasons with the Hokies.
Virginia Tech’s defense was impressive, allowing Colorado State to make only four of its 19 attempts from beyond the arc. The Rams entered the game as one of college basketball’s top 3-point shooting teams. However, an area of concern was inside the paint. Colorado State managed to outscore the Hokies 44-28 inside. The Rams also had 11 offensive rebounds to Virginia Tech’s five. Three of the Hokies’ offensive boards came on one possession.
Is this an area of concern moving forward? We shall see. Defending the paint and scoring inside have been strengths for the Hokies this season. It’s fair to say that Tech sometimes is too eager to shoot threes instead of working inside the paint.
It was a good win for Virginia Tech. Saint Mary’s represents a bigger challenge. The Gaels are a perennial tournament contender and are off to a 7-0 start this season.
