Virginia Tech Basketball: Instant Takeaways From Hokies loss to Jacksonville
1. Tobi Lawal
In the first half, Tobi Lawal helped lead the Hokies in scoring, finishing the first half with 12 points. In the second half, Lawal scored two more points but finished with five turnovers which ended up being costly in the teams shortcomings down the stretch of this game.
2. Mylyjael Poteat
Mylyjael Poteat played well in the first half, leading the team in rebounding and was the second leading scorer. In the second half, Poteat and the rest of the team slowed down and got cold, leading to a blown 11 point lead in the second half. Poteat finished the game with a team high 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
3. Team Efficiency
Virginia Tech struggled with getting the ball in the basket tonight, and it was very evident as the Hokies shot 41% from the floor, 33% from three, and 60% from the free throw line. The team has struggled with shooting the ball the last few games, which has seen them lose both by double-digits against stronger opponents.
4. Defense
The Hokies defense struggled tonight against Jacksonville, and it really showed in the second half as the Hokies blew a double digit lead. Part of the reason for this is because of the Dolphins ball movement compared to the more ball dominant first half that they had. The Dolphins shot 51% for the evening, and won the points in the paint battle 44-32.
5. Free Throws
The Hokies missed out on opportunities many free throw scoring opportunities throughout this game, and it became very evident in the second half. For the game, the Hokies shot 12-20 from the free throw line compared to the Dolphins eight free throws where they shot 62% so one could say with more made free throws, the Hokies win this game as they got more attempts at the line than Jacksonville.
Additional Links:
Virginia Tech Basketball: 5 Takeaways From Hokies Loss to Penn State
Virginia Tech Women's Basketball: Instant Takeaways From Hokies Win Over Rutgers
Virginia Tech Women's Basketball: 5 Takeaways From Virginia Tech's Win Over Coppin State
Kahlil McCuller joined the Sports Illustrated team in summer 2024 and is a Sports Media major at Virginia Tech. Covering College Baseball, College Basketball, and College Football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Prior to this Kahlil worked pregame radio shows for Virginia Tech Basketball teams on 105.3 The Bear and started his own basketball podcast on Spotify called "Fleeky Hoops Podcast" and covered March Madness for the Hokies Women's Basketball team back in March 2024. My favorite sports teams are: Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Chargers, Virginia Tech Hokies and PSG for Soccer