Aluma, No. 16 Virginia Tech pound Wake Forest 84-46

Virginia Tech's Wabissa Bede (3) celebrates a score during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Blacksburg Va. Saturday February 27 2021. (AP Photo / MATT GENRTY, The Roanoke Times, Pool) (MATT GENTRY, The Roanoke Times, Matt Gentry)

BLACKSBURG, Va. – On senior night, the No. 16/15 Virginia Tech men’s basketball team rolled to an 84-46 win over Wake Forest on Saturday inside Cassell Coliseum. Tech bounces back from Tuesday’s loss to Georgia Tech and sweeps the season series against Wake. 

The Hokies improve to 15-5 overall and 9-4 in the ACC. The Demon Deacons drop their fifth straight to fall to 6-13 on the season and 3-13 in conference. Tech is now a flawless 5-0 coming off a loss this season. 

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Three Hokies reached double figures in scoring including, forward Keve Aluma (23 points) and guards Tyrece Radford (15) and Nahiem Alleyne(13). Tech shot a staggering 53% from the field which is one of the best shooting performances against an ACC opponent in Tech history. From the three, the Hokies shot even better shooting 54% from behind the arc with a total of 13 3-pointers. 

On the defensive end, the Hokies forced Wake to commit 18 turnovers and Tech registered 26 points off those mistakes. Tech’s defense caused Wake to shoot just 27% from the field and 31% from three which resulted in the lowest point total an opponent has recorded against the Hokies this season with 46.

THE GAME 

Aluma came out of the gate on fire as he scored eight of the Hokies’ first 10 points which helped put Tech up 10-3 early in the first. Forward Cordell Pemsl and Radford each added buckets to extend their lead to 14-3. Looking to keep momentum with under 10 minutes to go, red hot Radford drilled back-to-back triples to balloon the Hokies lead to 31-17.

With time ticking away in the first half, the Hokies did not let up and went on a 10-0 run to put them up 45-22. To conclude the Hokies’ highest-scoring first half this season freshman Bamisile slammed it home at the buzzer to put Tech up 49-22.

Coming out of the break, the Hokies were full steam ahead as Tech jumped off to an 11-1 run to go up 60-23. With just under four minutes to go, senior Wabissa Bede nailed a 3-pointer followed by a triple from Bamisile to give Tech its largest lead at 82-39. Tech closed the contest out and defeated Wake 84-46.