Avdalas Posts 21 Points in Lawal’s Return as Hokies Collapse to Stanford 69-68

Virginia Tech’s late-game luck finally ran out on them after Stanford’s second-half surge handed the Hokies their second consecutive loss.

For the past month-and-a-half or so, the Hokies have been without arguably their most dynamic and athletic player in Lawal, after he suffered an injury during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament during Thanksgiving week. Moreover, various injuries over the course of his absence have made the Hokies starting lineups for each game a bit of a turnstyle, as different players were getting the starting nod with each new injury.

So, as one may imagine, Lawal’s return Wednesday night gave Tech fans a much-needed spark, especially after the Hokies were handed a rather shocking loss by Wake Forest the game prior. Wednesday’s contest against Stanford was an opportunity for Tech to get back on the right track.

The Hokies got out to an early, sustainable lead in the first half. While the score was only within a few scores for most of the half, Tech just seemed to have more mojo going its way in the half, especially after a Jailen Bedford three-pointer to beat the buzzer put the Hokies ahead 31-24 heading into halftime.

Neoklis Avdalas proved himself to be an all-around threat as he knocked down three mid-range jump shots, one three pointer, and a pair of free throws en route to an 11-point first half showing.

The Hokies maintained their lead throughout much of the second half, however runs by the Cardinal did apply some pressure on the maroon & orange throughout the period.

Things only got worse for the Hokies in the final two minutes of the contest.

Tech had a substantial 67-55 lead with 2:18 left in the game. However, Stanford’s freshman powerhouse Ebuka Okorie put his team on his back before the buzzer sounded, as he dropped 11 of Stanford’s 14 final points. He would also be the one to sink the go-ahead three-pointer to give the Cardinal the decisive one-point lead with three seconds remaining. Okorie would end up totaling 31 points on the night in Stanford’s win.

Avdalas continued strong in the second half as he posted an additional 10 points in the latter part of the contest. The freshman standout would end the evening with a 21-point outing, giving him his 11th double-digit-scoring performance of the season and his third showing with more than 20 points. 

Amani Hansberry and Ben Hammond also had double-digit tallies on the night, as they posted 11 points and 14 points, respectively.

Looking ahead, the Hokies have a rather quick turnaround as they will take on a visiting California Golden Bears team on Jan. 10. California currently sits at 13-2 prior to its Jan. 7 matchup against Virginia.

Wednesday’s loss was a bad one for the Hokies; there is no sugarcoating it. For a team that had its sights set on what could be a deep NCAA tournament run, its back-to-back losses in early January could very well be a morale killer especially during ACC play. Moreover, Virginia Tech could very well have a tough time navigating a gauntlet of ACC powerhouses throughout January, as three current Top 25 teams in SMU, Louisville, and Duke are slated for the month. 

Given these two losses, the Hokies will need to make a quick, substantial turnaround in order to prove themselves as a top contender in college basketball.