After a bye and seven days off, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team hit the road for a pivotal ACC road game on Saturday night at 18th-ranked North Carolina. The Tar Heels were without their star freshman Caleb Wilson, but they still have a lot of other good players, and that depth showed.
Seth Trimble did his thing, but Jonathan Powell hit four 3-pointers, and North Carolina pulled away in the second half from Virginia Tech after the game was tied 44-44 at halftime for a key win that keeps them in the mix for a double bye in the ACC Tournament next month. As far as Virginia Tech goes, they fell to 18-11 and 7-9 in the ACC. Unless they can find a way to beat Boston College at home this week and at Virginia next week, it'll be a trip to the NIT for Mike Young's crew in what is turning into a disappointing season in conference play. Here are three observations from another missed Quad 1 opportunity for the Hokies.
Virginia Tech second-half cold spell proved costly
After shooting 53% from the field in the first half, you knew the Hokies were not going to be able to keep that up in the second half. They didn't, and scoring droughts allowed UNC to pull away. Foul trouble again hurt Virginia Tech, with Amani Hansberry again spending a good chunk of time in the second half on the bench.
Sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due. North Carolina's defense was tough in the second half, forcing Virginia Tech into some tough shots. Sending the Tar Heels to the free-throw line too many times didn't help either. A Jailen Bedford 3-pointer with three minutes left closed the gap to 78-72, but again, the Hokeis couldn't get stops to close the gap closer as UNC lived at the free throw line.
Virginia Tech had no answer for Henri Veesaar
North Carolina has a lot of options on offense, even without Wilson, but Henri Veesaar had an impressive second half. He had eight points in the first half, but he began the second half on fire, making his first seven field goal attempts. That's right, 7-for-7. Whether it was in the post or from behind the arc, he helped UNC pull away.
It wasn't only Veesaar, but it was also Trimble whom Tech had trouble stopping. Defensively, they looked lost at times. Powell knocked down some big 3-pointers, and Veesaar finished with 26 points and seven rebounds. Again, Virginia Tech had no answers.
Neoklis Avdalas had another strong game
It wasn't perfect, but it was another good night for Hokies freshman Neoklis Avdalas. He finished with 19 points, three rebounds, and five assists. He knocked down some shots early and was able to get to the basket a few times. His shot looked good, and he again played with some confidence. The mid-season funk he hit seems to be a memory.
Virginia Tech will return to Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday night against Boston College before closing out the regular season at Virginia next Saturday.