Instant Takeaways From Virginia Tech's 82-62 Win Over Mount St. Mary's

The Hokies shot a season-low 40.3% from the field, though they emerged with a 20-point victory.

Virginia Tech Athletics

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech men's basketball captured an 82-62 victory over Mount St. Mary's Friday evening at Cassell Coliseum.

4-0 ✅✅✅✅#LetsGoHokies | @PenFed pic.twitter.com/A8Axc5TPyT

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) November 14, 2026

The Hokies (4-0) shot a season-low 40.3% clip in Friday's win. Here are my three immediate takeaways following Virginia Tech's fourth straight victory.

No. 1: Despite an essentially even battle on the defensive glass, Virginia Tech made up for it with breakneck speed and offensive rebounding.

The Hokies weren't dishing it out with one of the marquee teams in the nation on Friday; Mount St. Mary's (1-2) entered the affair ranked No. 295 on KenPom.

Non-conference games are usually of that nature — it's often a proving ground for teams to test their mettle against lesser competition and go deeper in their lineups — but the nature of them is the same: Go out and do as needed.

Virginia Tech's defensive rebounding numbers were nearly identical to Mount St. Mary's — the Hokies had 20 to the Mountaineers' 23 — but the disparity lay in the offensive boards. Virginia Tech gobbled up 21 offensive rebounds, while Mount St. Mary's ended the evening with only nine. Tech also finished with a plus-11 (24-13) advantage on the glass in the second half.

"Some foul language at the half may have had something to do with it," Young said. "Musa [Sagnia] helped in that regard. We've got to get better there. We outrebounded them nine for the game, which is a step in the right direction. It needs to get better. We'll get better."

The Hokies entered Friday averaging 34.3 rebounds per game through its first three contests, though they eclipsed that mark with 41 against the Mountaineers. Just over half of those came on the offensive glass.

No. 2: Virginia Tech's balanced offensive attack helped offset an off night for Jaylen Curry.

Guard Ben Hammond was solid, contributing 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting and adding eight assists — though he was 2-of-7 from the 3-point range and committed a season-high five turnovers. Hammond was 4-of-6 in the first half, though his second-half totals dipped to nine points on 2-of-8 (1-for-5 from 3-point) shooting.

Fellow guard Isaiah Elohim stepped up, chipping in 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and burying two looks from long range. Stalwart forward Amani Hansberry finished the evening with a team-high 20 points on a 6-of-10 clip, dishing out five assists, four rebounds, and logging a season-high five steals. Hansberry also threw down a thunderous poster dunk on Mount St. Mary's reserve Anastasios Rozakeas.

Guard Jaylen Curry ended the night with just three points on a 0-for-10 clip — he finished with 25 points in Tech's 93-88 overtime win over Iowa on Nov. 10 — though he chipped in three steals.

Curry entered Friday averaging 19.3 points on 45.2% shooting through his first three contests. Young said that the guard was dealing with an ankle injury sustained in the waning seconds of regulation of Nov. 10s game vs. Iowa.

"Late in the game, if you'll recall, it was a big play," Young said. "He missed two of three... made the third. Went up in the air, and a kid got under him. Foul was called on a 3-point attempt, and he came down on a kid's foot and turned his ankle. He was awfully tender yesterday; he did not practice yesterday. Consequently, timing is not as sharp as it needs to be.

"He tried to go; he gave us everything he could. He didn't have his best stuff. Obviously, we'll get [two and a half days] before we play again. He'll be back to 100%, I'm sure, and will be much better on Monday."

No. 3: Virginia Tech's ability to force turnovers helped overcome its own offensive miscues.

Virginia Tech wasn't flawless in taking care of the basketball Friday, though the Hokies made up for their occasional offensive shortcomings by wreaking havoc on the defensive end.

The Hokies finished the evening with 10 turnovers to Mount St. Mary's 23. The Mountaineers entered Friday averaging 14.5 turnovers per contest through their first two games, though Virginia Tech forced them into 8.5 giveaways above their season average.

"I'd like to tell you that we forced 23; they had some that they flat-out dribbled out of bounds and threw it to us, which is fine with me," Young said. "I don't care. We can't turn the ball over. That is a real no-no around here."

Hammond accounted for five of Tech's 10 turnovers, while Elohim committed two and Curry, Heide and Tyler Johnson finished with one apiece.

It was far from the cleanest offensive performance, though the Hokies assisted on 17 of their 27 made field goals — a 62.9% clip — and consistently put themselves in position to make the most of Mount St. Mary's miscues.

Virginia Tech hosts Richmond next on Monday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. ET. Coverage for the contest is available on ACC Network Extra.

"We've got strides to make — a work-in-progress," Young said. "We answered a lot of questions on Tuesday against a really good team. But it's every day. We have the makings. We've got to stay healthy. ... If we can stay healthy, this team is as connected as any team I've had in recent memory."