"Benny Buckets" Powers Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Over Navy

After a six-game losing streak was snapped on Thursday night at home with a win over North Carolina A&T, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team was looking to start a winning streak at home on Sunday afternoon at Cassell Coliseum against Navy.

After the Hokies bench dropped 55 points on North Carolina A&T three days, the bench once again picked them up with College of Charleston transfer Ben Burnham leading the way in an eight-point win over the Midshipmen. The win improves Tech to 5-6 on the season with one more game remaining on Saturday against Saint Joseph at The Palestra before the Christmas Break. Here are some quick observations from the win over Navy.

Virginia Tech men's basketball observations from win over Navy

• It has taken Burnham some time to get his feet wet in Blacksburg and Sunday might have been his breakout. He scored a season-high 17 points including two 3-pointers and baseline jumper late in the game up against the clock.

• Virginia Tech had three players finish with 11 points, Jaden Schutt, Ben Hammond, and Rodney Brown, Jr, but Hammond continues to impress in all facets of the game. Ball handling, seeing the floor, and his shot selection have been good. Schutt has looked better shooting the ball as well and Brown was huge off the bench for the second straight game.
• Navy (3-8) was on fire from the field early in the game and they didn't miss their first field goal until the 8:25 mark of the opening half. The Midshipmen shot 72% from the field in the opening 20 minutes, but the Hokies turned up the defensive pressure in the second half. They forced 16 turnovers in the game.
• Mylyjael Poteat was in foul trouble, but he showed how big he is on the floor with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting and he had the same numbers at the foul line. The offense flows better when he's getting touches in the post.
• With the start Navy had to build an early 12-point first-half lead and then make a second run to tie the game, it felt like this was a game Virginia Tech would have lost a month ago, but eight points from Burnham against the clock was the difference.