Three Takeaways from Virginia Tech Men's Basketball's 73-62 Win Over George Mason

Kaden Reinhard breaks down three takeaways from Virginia Tech's 73-62 victory.

Dec 2, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies forward Amani Hansberry (13) grabs a rebound over South Carolina Gamecocks guard Eli Ellis (15) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The Hokies picked up their second straight victory, 73-62, in a home contest against the George Mason Patriots. Tech coasted to its victory with a stellar run to end the first half, which carried over into the second half. Here are three more big takeaways from the contest:

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No. 1: Jaden Schutt is dangerous off the bench

Virginia Tech's leading scorer tonight, Jaden Schutt, went scoreless through the game's first 17 minutes of action until he connected on his second three-point attempt of the contest. The basket came at an optimal time for the Hokies; Schutt extended the lead to two possessions shortly after George Mason assumed its only lead of the game.

Following the contest, Schutt leads the squad in three-pointers made (29), despite not starting a game under head coach Mike Young's scheme. With Schutt's scoring prowess off the bench, the rotation keeps constant pressure on the opposing defense.

"I love the punch that we're getting from Schutt and Ben Hammond. Ben Hammond and Jaden Schutt are starters," Young said. "Jaden Schutt [is] probably going to finish a lot of games, and that would be a lot more important to me as a player."

With the hot hand, it was hard to take Schutt out; he connected on a career-high six three-pointers in his 18-point affair against the Patriots.

"I'm comfortable outside, space the floor, [and] we got good players that make plays," Schutt said.

No. 2: Amani Hansberry has stepped up in the absence of Tobi Lawal

Tobi Lawal hasn't seen game action since the Colorado State game in the quarterfinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. With that, both Antonio Dorn and Christian Gurdak have seen increased playing time in his absence, alongside Amani Hansberry, who was already a starter alongside Lawal but has now needed to log more minutes.

Hansberry, who has seen roughly a 10-minute increase in playing time, has not faltered in production. With his 15-point performance, which came on 7-for-10 shooting, Hansberry has collected double-digit scoring efforts in each of his last five contests and has accumulated a double-double in two out of his last four times out.

Hansberry works the paint well, and if he can consistently establish his presence in the interior, that will continue to open the floor for his teammates on the perimeter.

No. 3: Tech's defensive matchup was tiring, and they prevailed

The Patriots can tire defenses down easily with their slow, melodic pace, which drains the 30-second shot clock on multiple possessions. Those lengthy possessions and off-ball movement have proven to confuse and tire out defenses.

George Mason is efficient on the offensive end, connecting on nearly half (49.7%) of its attempts from the floor, which pairs with its methodic offense. Tech disrupted that tonight with stellar team communication.

"There's a lot of communication errors that can happen when guys are moving," Schutt said. "You got to talk as a team, [and] basically disrupt their stuff. Don't let a team get comfortable that way."