Hokies Mitigate Two-Game Skid with Crucial 78-75 Win Against California

After dropping its last two games to Wake Forest and Stanford, Virginia Tech returned to the win column with a come-from-behind victory over California.

Needless to say, it has been a rough start to the new year for the Hokies, as they have lost their last two games by a combined four points.

After a rough start to Saturday’s contest, where the Hokies did not seem to have much synergy coming out of the gate, the Blacksburg bunch was able to rally back via an 11-point run to tie the game up at 29 points with just over four minutes left to play in the first half. Although the Bears reclaimed the lead shortly after, the Hokies worked their way back to tie the game at 37 points each heading into halftime.

All seven Tech players who entered the game in the first half scored between four and eight points. Jaden Schutt led the way in first-half scoring for the Hokies, as he made back-to-back shots from beyond the arc within the first six minutes and knocked down a pair of free throws.

Though the Bears jumped out to an early, six-point lead coming out of halftime, the Hokies held close throughout most of the second half. Tech was relatively able to keep its deficit to one score for more than 10 minutes through the half.

Tech trailed close behind until there was 4:29 left in the contest, when Neoklis Avdalas made a layup to give Tech the 68-67 lead – its first since California took the lead with 12:24 remaining in the first half.

With Tech holding onto a one-score lead, the tables were turned late in the game. The Hokies were now in control of their own destiny late in a close-score game – a sight to, once again, make Tech fans hold their breath.

The Bears made a valiant effort at avoiding the loss as they fouled Schutt and Jailen Bedford. The Hokies duo each made one of two free throws, and Bedford – who was fouled as a result of a miscommunicated pass from the Bears, gave the Hokies a three-point lead with only a few seconds left to play.

Though the Hokies defense broke down on the Bears’ game-tying, three-point shot attempt, the West Coast team was unable to sink the shot, and the Hokies held on to secure the 78-75 win.

Overall, Tech had a well-rounded scoring effort Saturday, for six players scored more than 10 points in the contest. What’s more, Amani Hansberry, the Hokies’ leading scorer for the game, only scored 15 points, which is rather abnormal for a team’s leading scorer in a game.

Though not dominant, a win is a win. Especially given the back-to-back tough losses for the maroon & orange, Saturday’s win serves as an opportunity to get back right and salvage some games throughout a grueling January slate.

The Hokies will head on the road to take on the No. 24 ranked SMU Mustangs on Wednesday, Jan. 14. The contest could very well serve as a pivot point for the Hokies to prove they can compete at a high level. Given the rough outcomes of the past few games, the win against California on Saturday could be a much-needed spark for the Blacksburg squad as it heads into Dallas.