Virginia Tech's Hokies handed Notre Dame its fourth straight loss with an 89-76 victory at Cassell Coliseum. The Irish, who were on a three-game losing streak after a conference-opening win at Stanford, were looking to turn things around before heading to North Carolina the following week. However, the Hokies had other plans, moving their record above .500 with a crucial win over SMU on Wednesday night, despite a last-second half-court buzzer-beater by the Mustangs.
The final score didn't reflect the lopsided nature of the game. Notre Dame found themselves trailing by 11 points at halftime, and the deficit only grew, reaching 19 points less than six minutes into the second half. Despite a valiant effort, the Irish couldn't close the gap, and Virginia Tech secured the win with an 89-76 score.
Virginia Tech's dominance was evident in their free-throw shooting, making 28 of 32 attempts, while Notre Dame struggled with turnovers and inconsistent shooting. The Hokies' six players averaging double-figure scoring proved too much for the Irish to handle, with Tobi Lawal leading the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Amani Hansberry with 21 points and Ben Hammond with 16. Notre Dame's top scorer, freshman Brady Koehler, contributed 17 points, while Cole Certa added 14 and Sir Mohammed scored 12.
The Hokies held the lead for the entire second half, leading by double digits for the final 17:22. Notre Dame's only lead of the game lasted just 1:04 within the first five minutes. The Irish's struggles were evident in their turnover rate, committing 13 turnovers, and their poor three-point shooting, making only 6 of 24 attempts, including 3 of 11 in the second half.
Virginia Tech's success can be attributed to their strong performance at the free-throw line, making 50.9% of their attempts, including 20 of 33 two-point attempts. The Hokies' ability to dominate the paint and control the pace of the game was a significant factor in their victory. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry praised the team's resilience, highlighting their ability to bounce back from tough losses and keep fighting.
The turning point(s) in the game came after a steal-and-score by Sir Mohammed, reducing the deficit to 22-20 with eight minutes left in the first half. The Hokies then went on a 10-0 run, extending their lead to 32-20, which proved to be their largest of the half. Despite a strong start to the second half, cutting the deficit to 14 points, the Hokies went on another 10-0 run, extending their lead to 19 points.
The Irish's struggles can be attributed to their inability to protect the basketball and cause turnovers, as well as their inconsistent free-throw and three-point shooting. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry acknowledged the team's need to work on these areas, emphasizing the importance of getting to the free-throw line and improving their overall performance.
The first-half flow saw the Hokies build a 14-point lead, shooting 7 of 9 from the field and scoring 10 fast-break points in the first six and a half minutes. The Irish struggled, making only 13 of 32 field goals (41%) and committing 8 turnovers. Notre Dame's leading scorer, Jalen Haralson, scored just 4 points in the first half, while Braedon Shrewsberry missed all three of his three-point attempts.
Looking ahead, Notre Dame will face a challenging opponent in North Carolina on Wednesday, January 21, at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2. The Irish will need to improve their performance and find a way to turn things around if they want to avoid another loss.
