Men's Basketball Outlasts Providence In Overtime Behind Avdalas' 33-Point Effort

The Greek wing tallied a 33-point outing in his second game with the Hokies.

Basketball Hall of Fame

Behind a 33-point effort from Greek wing Neoklis Avdalas, Virginia Tech men's basketball inched past Providence in overtime, 107-101. The 107-point output was the most in a single game for the Hokies since Nov. 12, 2017, a 132-93 win over The Citadel.

opening week statement‼️ pic.twitter.com/CwMVQHDiYv

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) November 8, 2025

"I think that [the Friars] are an NCAA Tournament team," said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. "But I've got a pretty good team too. And I look forward to, as Neo says, how this unfurls for our team moving ahead."

Neither team established a lead larger than eight, with the lead remaining within a score for the final 16 minutes and four seconds of regulation. Though Providence entered the second frame up six with a 46-40 margin, the Hokies worked their way back, tying the game on nine occasions in the second half.

However, with 1:21 left to go in regulation, Providence guard Jason Edwards was fouled by forward Amani Hansberry, nailing both shots at the free-throw line to grant the Friars a 86-84 lead. On the ensuing possession, Avdalas clanked the jumper, but then Edwards missed a three-pointer. With 17 seconds remaining in the contest, forward Tobi Lawal gobbled the rebound and shuffled the ball to waiting Ben Hammond.

Hammond's shot in the paint was no good, but feel into Hansberry's arms and the West Virginia transfer nailed the tip-in to knot the score at 86 with five seconds on the board. Reserve guard Stefan Vaaks' contested prayer at the buzzer narrowly rimmed in and out, sending the contest into overtime — and Virginia Tech into overdrive. Vaaks tallied 17 points against the Hokies, third-most on the Friars behind Edwards (28) and guard Jaylin Sellers (26).

Once overtime got underway, the Hokies went on the offensive, with Bedford scooping up the ball and taking it to the rack for the extra period's first points.

"Sometimes you get to overtime and it’s a huge disappointment that you’ve let something slip away,” Young said. “Needless to say, we didn’t handle some things down the stretch that we’ll learn from, but I saw a team eager to play more with a legitimate shot to win. I thought [our team] punched first once the thing went into the air for overtime, and that was certainly encouraging to see.”

Though Friars big Oswin Erhunmwunse answered with a layup of his own, Tech reponded with a ten-second possession that resulted in an Avdalas layup. 40 seconds later, Hansberry converted in the paint and on the ensuing Hokies possession, guard Tyler Johnson broke away for a fast break jam.

Providence wasn't done yet, with Vaaks drawing a foul on Hansberry on a three-point try. The reserve canned all three from the stripe to narrow the game to a one-point deficit. However, on the next play, Hansberry found space from beyond the arc and drained the trey to boost the Hokies to a four-point advantage.

Though Sellers canned a runner in the paint, the Hokies answered with an Avdalas fadeaway at the top of the key, then a Lawal dunk that gave Tech a six-point lead with 58 seconds remaining on the clock.

Following a missed triple from Vaaks, Avdalas corralled the ball, forcing Providence's Ryan Mela to foul and essentially ending the contest. The Hokies effectively limited the Friars in overtime, holding them to 4-for-12 shooting from the field and a blank 0-for-4 from deep. Meanwhile, Tech shot 8-for-10 in the frame, punctuated by Hansberry's clutch trey.

Avdalas was incandescent, pouring in a career-high 33 points, including seven of the Hokies' first 10. The effort marked just the third-ever 30-point performance by a Virginia Tech freshman since the Hokies entered the ACC, according to Tech Sideline's David Cunningham.

In Virginia Tech's ACC era, 30-point games by a freshman:
• Jalen Hudson (Fr.): 32 vs. Wake Forest (3/10/15)
• Landers Nolley (r-Fr.): 30 at Clemson (11/5/19)
• Neoklis Avdalas (Fr.): 33 vs. Providence (TODAY)

That's the list. #Hokies

— David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) November 9, 2025

Avdalas' wizardry with ball control was on display once again Saturday; the Greek wing tallied six assists along with five rebounds. After a rocky eight-point performance in the opener, Avdalas paired his already present facilitation with a scoring outpouring, producing a captivating performance. Six of Avdalas' 33 points came in the extra period.

"33 points in a high-level game against a well coached and good defensive prior team. He's got a bit of a one-track mind at times now," Young said. "When he makes up his mind... he sees it incredibly well. He's an unbelievable playmaker. That will continue to improve as we go along. I'm thankful to coach him. Of course, he did have six assists and two turnovers. I'm fortunate to coach him and thrilled that he's in a Hokie uniform."

Avdalas wasn't alone in his efforts. Behind him was guard Jailen Bedford, who poured in 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Despite starting 0-for-8 from the field, Hansberry also keyed in, hitting six of his final seven shots and corralling 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double. Hansberry and Lawal combined for their second straight game with 24 or more rebounds on the contest. Guard Jaden Schutt also provided a spark plug off the bench, notching 10 points in 14 minutes played.

The team continued to improve on its turnovers; after posting 18 turnovers in its exhibition against Duquesne, then lowering that total to seven in the season opener vs. Charleston Southern, the Hokies coughed the ball up 11 times Saturday. However, nine of those turnovers came in the first half, while Tech committed just a pair of turnovers in the final 20 minutes of regulation.

The Hokies ran seven-deep for the contest, with each starter playing over 30 minutes and Hansberry pacing the team with 40. Schutt and Hammond were the main contributors off the bench, tallying 10 and eight points on 14 and 20 minutes, respectively. Guard Izaiah Pasha and big Christian Gurdak each logged three minutes, while German center Antonio Dorn saw his first collegiate minutes after being forced to sit out the opener due to NCAA eligibility rules.

Virginia Tech has four days before its next contest, a Cassell Coliseum clash with Saint Joseph's on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. ET. Last year, the Hokies fell to Saint Joseph's, 82-62. The Hawks enter the contest ranked No. 115 in the KenPom rankings, having defeated Lafayette and Drexel to open its 2025-26 campaign.