The Virginia Tech Hokies secured a victory against Florida State, winning 76-66 on Wednesday night, led by Tobi Lawal who contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds. Jaden Schutt also added 16 points to the effort, ensuring that Virginia Tech maintained the lead throughout the game. Taylor Bol Bowen was the standout for the Seminoles with 14 points, shooting an impressive 6 for 8 and just missing out on a double-double by one rebound, while teammate Jerry Deng scored 13 points.

The match began with both teams trading baskets. However, after Lawal’s second basket put the Hokies ahead 4-2, they never looked back. A layup by Rodney Brown Jr. extended their lead to 20-9 with 9:54 remaining in the first half. Just over five minutes later, Ben Burnham’s dunk pushed the score to 25-11. Virginia Tech further intensified their offensive efforts, closing the first half with a 10-4 run to head into halftime with a commanding 35-15 advantage.

Florida State struggled to reach the 20-point mark until Bol Bowen hit a 3-pointer two-and-a-half minutes into the second half, leaving them trailing by 19 points. Despite the deficit, Florida State mounted a steady comeback in a span of just over seven minutes, narrowing the gap to 49-43 after a layup from Daquan Davis with 8:08 remaining. However, Virginia Tech responded with consecutive three-pointers from Ben Hammond, Schutt, and Lawal, widening the lead back to 58-45.

Alier Maluk’s dunk brought the Seminoles closer, but that was the last time they were within single digits, as Johnson’s team held firm to secure the victory. With this win, Virginia Tech moves to a record of 9-12 overall and 4-6 in the ACC. They are set to face Virginia on Saturday, while Florida State, boasting a record of 13-8 and also 4-6 in conference play, will look to rebound against Boston College on the same day.