January 15, 2025
Blacksburg, VA- NC State came up short once again Wednesday night. It was Jaden Schutt making two free throws with 2.3 seconds left, sending Virginia Tech out with a victory 79-76 over NC State on Wednesday night in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech ended the game on a 9-0 scoring run.
In a crazy series of events, forced to go the length of the court following Schutt’s go-ahead foul shots that made it 77-76, Ben Burnham stole the pass and slammed the dunk home for the three point win. With six seconds left, Schutt missed a 3-point attempt with the Hokies down 76-75. Marcus Hill fouled Schutt on the rebound, sending him to the line. When Schutt knocked down those free throws to go up 77-76, it was the first time the Hokies had led in the ball game since six minutes remaining in the first half.
Jayden Taylor had a three-point play to give the Wolfpack a 60-45 lead early in the second half and Virginia Tech beat NC State down the stretch outsourcing the Wolfpack 34-16 to win. In fact, the Wolfpack were up double digits at halftime leading 45-34. The Hokies were led by Tobi Lawal’s 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting and he had 11 rebounds while Ben Burham added 12 points too. The Hokies improved to 8-9 overall 3-3 in the conference with the win. Conversely NC State fell to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play who were led by Jayden Taylors 17 points with Ben Middlebrooks adding 13 and Marcus Hill’s 12 points.
NC State led by as many as 15 points in the second half and still had a 12 point lead, 72-60, with 6:38 to play when the Hokies went on a run. Virginia Tech went on a 7-0 spurt to get within five, but Ben Middlenbrooks scored to put the Pack back up by seven, 74-67, with 3:37 to go.
NC State flipped the first half in the final eight minutes of the opening period. Virginia Tech made its sixth three of the game to take a 29-22 lead with eight minutes remaining, but it was all NC State for the remainder of the half. The Pack went on a 10-0 run to retake the lead. Virginia Tech tied the game at 32 and then again at 34, before the Pack went on another run, this one an 11-0 run to close the half and take a 45-34 advantage into the break.
NC State finished the opening half 8-of-13 from three-point range. The eight three-pointers are the most in a half for the Pack this season, but NC State could not find its stroke in the second half as the Pack went 0-for-6 from distance in the final 20 minutes. Virginia Tech finished the game with 11 three-pointers, the most given up by NC State this season.
NC State hosts California on Saturday, while Virginia Tech, winners of two in a row, hosts Wake Forest on Saturday.
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