If you had told me that the Virginia Tech Hokies would’ve gone on the road, at No. 20 Clemson, defeat the Tigers by double digits when Amani Hansberry and Neoklis Avdalas scored a combined 15 points, I would’ve thought
you were crazy. That’s precisely what happened on Wednesday night, when the Hokies shocked the Tigers 76-66 at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tech ended Clemson’s four-game winning streak, and the Tigers had won 13 of 14 games before Wednesday.
The two teams went back and forth over the first 17 minutes, but Virginia Tech senior guard Jailen Bedford’s 3-point play with 2:47 remaining in the first half gave the Hokies a 32-31 lead. They’d never look back. Over the final three minutes of the first half, VT outscored Clemson 9-2 to take a 40-33 lead into intermission.
Bedford carried the Hokies in the first half, scoring 16 points. As a team, Virginia Tech shot a scorching 59% from the floor, including 7 of 11 from beyond the arc. Tobi Lawal is known for his athleticism, highlight-reel dunks and defense, and he got in on the first-half fun, making both of his 3-point attempts.
Clemson scored the first five points of the second half to make it a 40-38 half. That’s as close as they would get. Virginia Tech would respond with a 12-2 run to take a 52-40 lead. While it was Bedford in the first half, sophomore guard Ben Hammond answered the call over the final 20 minutes. Hammond scored just two points in the first half, but added 17 in the second half. He made three second-half 3-pointers and was a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line to finish with 19.
Bedford led all scorers with 23 points.
There were different times in the second half it felt like, “Oh no, here we go again,” as the Tigers would pull within five points. Yet, each time, it was the Hokies who had all the answers.
Virginia Tech played its most impressive game of the year, shooting 52% from the floor against one of the nation’s top-three defensive teams. It was an impressive defensive performance from the Hokies, holding Clemson to 45% shooting from the floor and only 5 of 16 from beyond the arc. Clemson’s lead guard, Jestin Porter, scored only 5 points on 1 of 8 shooting from the field. Carter Welling, Nick Davidson and Ace Buckner combined for 51 of Clemson’s 66 points. The rest of the team made just 5 of 26 attempts from the field.
The game should do wonders for the Hokies’ NCAA Tournament hopes. Tech improved to 17-8 on the season and 6-6 in ACC play. Clemson, which was tied with Duke at 10-1 in league play, now stands tied with Virginia at 10-2 in second place.
This was a huge win for many reasons. Not only was it head coach Mike Young’s first road win over a ranked foe in seven years.
Now, Virginia Tech must keep the momentum rolling. On Saturday, the Hokies host a feisty Florida State team.
