Lawal, Gurdak Lead Hokies Past Bryant as Team Prepares for Pivotal Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament

Tobi Lawal’s 18-point and Christian Gurdak’s 15-point outings drove the Hokies to 5-0 on the season with their 78-61 win over the Bryant Bulldogs Wednesday.

“After my first sub in, I thought I settled in,” Gurdak said. “I wouldn’t call them nerves, but the excitement settled down, and I got settled into the game, and I thought I made an impact.”

With his 18-point performance, Lawal picked up his third double-double on the year as he also took 13 rebounds on the night. The duo of Lawal and Gurdak provided a well-rounded front to get what was an otherwise slow offense going for the night.

In total, the Hokies had five players with double digit points on the night, as Neoklis Avdalas and Ben Hammond posted 11 points each, and Tyler Johnson notched 10 points as well.

The Hokies were limited in the frontcourt as Amani Hansberry was ruled out for the contest with a strained ankle. In response, German freshman Antonio Dorn got the nod to start at the five spot, and Christian Gurdak – another freshman – received increased reps off the bench. Hansberry will likely be back for Tech’s matchup against Colorado State on Nov. 26.

Both teams had trouble getting scoring going in Wednesday’s contest as the score was 14-12 in favor of the Bulldogs halfway through the first half. Nonetheless, the Hokies got their momentum back to old form as they climbed up to a 32-24 lead – thanks to a 15-4 run – to end the first half.

Jaden Schutt played a key role in getting Tech back into the contest before the end of the first half. The redshirt junior popped an energizing three-pointer to extend the Hokies’ lead to eight with about two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the half.

An aside: If I had a nickel for every time James Franklin was in Cassell Coliseum today, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s crazy that it happened twice.

Virginia Tech Football’s new coaching hire got the Cassell crowd roaring Wednesday as he made an appearance at halftime. 

“You’re not gonna find a staff or head coach that will pour their hearts and soul into this place like you do,” Franklin said in his address to the Cassell audience.

Now, back to basketball. 

Though Bryant did close the gap coming out of the half, the Hokies still maintained their too-close-for-comfort lead throughout the half. Tech led 50-40 with just under 12 minutes left to play in the contest.

Antonio Dorn would be ejected in the second half with two flagrant fouls. His exit would be what led to Gurdak getting the 27-minute workload on the night. 

Gurdak showed his prowess in his increased role, as he scored almost all of his points in the second half alone. He would end up being the maroon & orange’s second-leading scorer on the night despite coming off the bench. According to head coach Mike Young he will likely be the first big man off the bench in the Bahamas.

“Playing 27 minutes is what you hope for especially as a true freshman,” Gurdak said. “You know how many guys get this opportunity, so when you get it, you gotta run. You can’t just be out there waiting, so I thought I did that tonight. I definitely got some stuff I gotta work on and see it in film tomorrow and work on in practice, but we’ll get back to it.”

The Hokies would take hold of the match in the latter half of the second half. Tech would surge to a 69-56 lead with three minutes left in the game. The squad would hold on to secure the 78-61 victory.

The Hokies’ next test takes place at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament from Nov. 26-28 at the Bahamas’ Imperial Arena at Atlantis Paradise Islands. The tournament, featuring elite teams eyeing March Madness bids – including Saint Mary’s, Vanderbilt, and Colorado State, will be a big indication of whether Virginia Tech is capable of sustaining strong, long-term success throughout the 2025-2026 season. 

“It’s tournament basketball; it mirrors the ACC tournament; it mirrors the NCAA tournament. You gotta turn it around and put a good product on the floor and have them prepared as best you can,” Young said. “Now, we’ve got ample time with Colorado State, but whoever the second one is is quick. But, the tournament is a great proving ground and great learning experience for our team five games in.”

Tech, which will play three games in three days in a test of pure endurance and depth, will look to show the college basketball world what the program is all about.

“You prepare for three games in three days the best you can with what you got,” Young said. “We’re all in the same boat. We’ll all look at those, and those are critical. Every day is a super bowl. You empty the tank for lack of a better expression. We got a 40-minute ballgame against Colorado State; we’re going to have to play a really good ballgame. You have a sandwich and you begin your work and preparation for the next day, whomever that might be, right away.”