Virginia Tech Escapes With 72-63 Win Over Boston College

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech men's basketball nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory Tuesday evening, allowing Boston College back into the game late and narrowly closing out in a 72-63 victory.

"Had to win, for obvious reasons," said Hokies head coach Mike Young. "[Boston College is] like a daggone chest cold. You can't get rid of them; they're tough. They hang in there. I mean, I watched them play a lot over the last couple of days.

"They went right down to the wire with NC State, right down to the wire with Virginia. The Virginia game is hanging in the balance, with just a minute or two to play. So, up 19, you've got to put the thing away, and we don't. But we won."

Tuesday dub ✅

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— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 4, 2026

The Hokies (19-11, 8-9 ACC) engaged in their 10th ACC contest decided by single digits; they led by 15 with 5:18 to play, but surrendered a 9-0 run to the Eagles (10-20, 3-14 ACC). Yet, leading 67-61, Virginia Tech found just enough to eke by in its nine-point win, despite yielding a 42-24 advantage in the paint to Boston College.

In many ways, the Hokies' victory over the Eagles was the same story compared to other contests this season: Virginia Tech allows team to close lead late. Team makes run. The Hokies either hang on to win or collapse. In Young's words, the ACC has developed into a "rock fight"-style of games this season, where nearly any team can win on any given night of play. Just one of Virginia Tech's games was uncompetitive throughout: their 89-76 victory over Notre Dame.

The other lingering thread: Virginia Tech allowing one player to thrive. Eagles center Boden Kapke was a force inside and out, finishing with a career-high 25 points on an 11-for-19 clip, which included a 3-for-8 mark from beyond the arc. In the second half, he went 6-for-10 and poured in 14 points.

Boston College guard Fred Payne was also effective in the second. After he struggled in a four-point, 2-for-7 first-half, he anchored the Eagles down the stretch, delivering 12 points, seven boards and three assists in the second frame.

Though Boston College never led Tuesday evening, it hung around, fielding a pesky unit that disrupted the Hokies' offensive flow in the second half. After all, the Eagles have been a historically pesky team for Virginia Tech. Before Tuesday, the Hokies were a drab 1-6 against Boston College under Young.

Virginia Tech was potent early, jumping out to a 7-0 lead and leading 14-4 at the 14:16 mark. After Boston College pushed the gap to 17-11 at the 11:31 mark off a Luka Toews three, the Hokies logged 13 uninterrupted points and led 30-11 with 6:18 to go. At halftime, the squad led 35-24, yielding a 13-5 run to Boston College.

But once again, Virginia Tech found itself in another rock fight Tuesday evening. With a strong early start, the Hokies produced enough to hang on — but like, with many contests this season, questions persist.

Take freshman wing Neoklis Avdalas' performance, as an example. The 6-foot-9 guard was incandescent in his first 12 minutes of play, pouring in 14 points, six rebounds and two assists.

"Credit Neo, he's getting it going here late in the season," said guard Ben Hammond. "We try to find him as much as we can to get his confidence back. We followed his energy, and that's pretty good for us to start the game."

Yet, over his next 21 minutes, Avdalas was quiet, adding just one more point and assist each. In the second half, Avdalas went 0-for-5. Yet, thanks to the Hokies' first-half surge, that skid didn't sink Virginia Tech. The Hokies entered the second half with that aforementioned 35-24 advantage — despite not scoring for the final 3:09.

That first-half advantage was because of Virginia Tech's potency from beyond the arc, which was an effort spearheaded by Avdalas and Hammond. The two combined to make seven of their 10 deep-range looks, part of an 11-for-24 effort from deep. Virginia Tech went 7-for-16 from three-point land in the first half, in contrast to Boston College's 2-for-9 clip.

Back to the questions: Like Avdalas, forward Tobi Lawal's first and second halves were night and day. However, Lawal's struggles arose in the first half where he produced a quiet 1-for-5 clip and four points.

In the second half, his fortunes turned around; the senior forward — playing his final regular-season game in Cassell Coliseum — logged 16 second-half points on a 5-of-6 clip. He also logged a 6-for-7 clip at the line and was the driving force that kept Virginia Tech afloat in the second half. Though the Hokies yielded a 9-0 run with three minutes remaining, Virginia Tech ended the contest with a narrow 39-37 second-frame deficit after all was said and done.

Despite the Hokies being outshot 37-21 in the second half, Virginia Tech clawed back the deficit by getting to the line. The Hokies produced an 11-for-14 mark at the line, while Boston College scrounged together four free throws and knocked down two.

Virginia Tech's contest vs. Boston College was again like many of its other ACC clashes, vacillatory and susceptible to collapse. With a minute to play, the Hokies were up six — a precarious position given their proclivity for dropping close games. Virginia Tech went the final 5:18 without knocking down a field goal, similar to its drought to end its game vs. Miami Feb. 17. The Hokies committed nine turnovers in the second half after yielding just three in the first.

Yet, Virginia Tech held on. The Hokies, who entered as 13-point favorites on KenPom, did as needed: They won. Still, Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament hopes hang in the balance, with Saturday's Commonwealth Clash looming as the precursor for its March Madness fate.

"We knew they were going to make their run," Hammond said of Boston College's late surge. "They like to stick in games with a lot of teams, so we knew that was going to happen. But just trying to stay steady, keep our composure and play better basketball."

Virginia Tech has one game remaining in an attempt to buoy its NCAA Tournament hopes. The Hokies travel to Charlottesville to face No. 13 Virginia on Saturday, March 7, at 12 p.m. ET; coverage will be broadcast on The CW Network. Depending on how much weight the ACC Tournament carries for the NCAA Tournament selection committee, it could be the last opportunity for Virginia Tech to stake its claim to play in March Madness.

"Means a lot," Hammond, an in-state prospect coming from Paul VI High School two years ago, said of the Clash and its postseason ramifications. "Somewhere I haven't been before. Somewhere we're trying to get, my team wants to get. I want that for Coach Mike Young, because I love being a player under him. Everybody has the same goal, and I'm trying to do my best, keep my team motivated to get there."