For about 20 minutes on Saturday night, it looked like the Virginia Tech Hokies would come away with a big-time Quad 1 win against the No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. The ACC rivals went into halftime tied at 44, but the Hokies got behind early in the second half and never caught up, falling 89-82.
The two teams went back and forth in the first half, with Tech shooting 53% from the floor. UNC was hot, too, shooting 52% from the field. VT was 4 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line in the first 20
minutes but struggled with Carolina’s size, especially on the glass.
Unfortunately for the Hokies, UNC came out hot early in the second, specifically junior big man Henri Veesaar. The Heels took a 50-44 lead quickly and while the Hokies kept it within one or two possessions for several minutes, they could never get closer. Veesaar scored 26 to lead all scorers. Amazingly, he began the second half making seven straight baskets, and VT’s inability to defend him was emblematic of its defensive performance as a whole.
Virginia Tech’s inability to stop Veesaar was coupled with its own stretch of offensive incompetence. During one 9-minute stretch in the second half, the Hokies made only three shots from the field, allowing the Tar Heels to open up an 11-point lead at one point. Almost every Virginia Tech possession in the second half seemingly ended with a Hokie launching an ill-advised 3-pointer late in the shot clock.
Despite an ugly second half, it looked like Tech was about to make a game of it when Ben Hammond converted on an old-fashioned 3-point play with 2:45 remaining to make it 80-75. UNC quickly scored four in a row, ending VT’s last shot at pulling off the upset.
The Tar Heels outrebounded the Hokies 34-22 for the game. Because of a strong first half, the Hokies shot 50% from the field, while UNC made 56% of its shots. Unacceptable. Far too often, Virginia Tech allowed UNC guards to penetrate for an easy basket. No resistance.
Neoklis Avdalas led the Hokies with 19 points and 5 assists. He made a beautiful step-back 3-pointer at one point, his best shot as a Hokie. Tobi Lawal and Hammond each scored 16. Lawal had only 5 rebounds, while Amani Hansberry had just one before he fouled out. Hansberry scored 11 points.
Sophomore guard Tyler Johnson did return from injury, but only played a couple of minutes. Johnson did not record any stats.
The loss dropped Virginia Tech to 18-11 and 7-9 in ACC play. The Hokies finish the season with a home game against Boston College on Tuesday and at No. 11 Virginia on Saturday. Tech’s NCAA Tournament hopes are alive but fading. The Hokies need to win both remaining games and probably a couple in the ACC Tournament to feel better about their chances.
