ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team closed out its non-conference slate with a thrilling 82-81 victory over Elon on Saturday afternoon on Carilion Clinic Court. Tech trailed by as many as 19 points in the first half and rallied to force overtime, where Christian Gurdak’s layup with 10 seconds remaining proved to be the difference.
The Hokies’ record stands at 11-2 as the ACC portion of the schedule looms after a holiday break.
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Elon started the game hot, connecting on seven 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes and aggressively crashing the glass, rebounding over half of its missed shots to create additional offensive opportunities. With 4:27 left in the first half, the Phoenix led 39-20, their largest advantage of the game.
From there, the Hokies closed the half on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to single digits, with baskets from Jaden Schutt, Amani Hansberry, Gurdak and Izaiah Pasha, who once again made an impact off the bench.
Tech continued to chip away in the second half, finally breaking through on a Hansberry and-one with five and a half minutes to play. In the final minutes of regulation, neither team could pull away, and the Phoenix’s final shot did not fall.
In overtime, Tech’s defense stood tall, allowing just two Elon field goals. Gurdak, who made his first career start, scored the final basket before the Hokies forced a turnover with seconds remaining. As the horn sounded, Elon’s Bryson Cokley missed a 3-pointer.
Hansberry recorded a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double, leading five Hokies in double figures. Gurdak finished with 17 points, followed by Ben Hammond with 15, Pasha with 11 and Schutt with 10.
In Charlottesville, No. 23 Virginia used a balanced offensive effort to pull away late in an 80-72 victory over Maryland.
The Cavaliers broke a second-half tie with a decisive run midway through the period and never relinquished the lead. Virginia’s defense limited Maryland to one field goal over a four-minute stretch as the Cavaliers created separation. Virginia placed four players in double figures, led by Dallin Hall’s 20 points, as the Cavaliers improved their record to 10-1 with a strong showing against their former ACC rival.
Liberty held off Dayton 64-61 in a tightly contested nonconference matchup Saturday.
The Flames led for most of the second half but saw Dayton close within one possession in the final minute. Liberty sealed the win at the free-throw line and forced a contested miss at the buzzer. The Flames were led by a strong defensive effort, limiting Dayton’s perimeter shooting and controlling the tempo down the stretch. Kaden Metheny led the team with 16 points.