COLUMBIA — South Carolina clawed back from an early deficit to force overtime Tuesday night at Colonial Life Arena, but Virginia Tech made the key plays late to escape with an 86–83 win in a non-conference battle.
The Gamecocks (5–3) fell behind early and trailed at halftime but outscored the Hokies 36–33 in the second half to push the game into overtime. Virginia Tech (7–2) shot a blistering 80% in the extra period and knocked down 7 of 9 free throws to seal the victory. Freshman forward Amani Hansberry powered the Hokies all night, posting a dominant 22 points and 14 reboundson 10-of-16 shooting. Ben Hammond provided a major spark off the bench, scoring 16 points with two threes and a perfect 4-for-4 at the line, while Jaden Schutt added 12 points.
Neoklis Avdalas turned in a well-rounded performance with 13 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, keeping Virginia Tech afloat during several key second-half stretches. South Carolina was led by a trio of double-figure scorers who paced the Gamecocks throughout the tight overtime battle. Meechie Johnson and Elijah Strong shared team-high honors with 18 points each, with Johnson shooting an efficient 7-for-12 from the field and Strong providing a spark off the bench with a team-best six made free throws and a three-pointer.
Mike Sharavjamts added 14 points while knocking down five of seven at the line, and Kobe Knox chipped in 11 points to round out South Carolina’s top scoring group in the loss.The game featured nine lead changes and was tied eight times, with neither team able to create separation until the Hokies finally did so at the free-throw line in overtime.
South Carolina’s balanced effort included 34 bench points and a 37–31 rebounding advantage, but the Gamecocks were hurt by 18 turnovers and a 14-of-21 night at the foul line. South Carolina will look to bounce back quickly, returning home Saturday to host Stetson at 2 p.m. as non-conference play continues.
