Virginia Tech Defeats Wake Forest 82-63

Avdalas and Lawal each score 17 points in Hokies' conference win

Feb. 21, 2026 at 8:22pm

Virginia Tech defeated Wake Forest 82-63 in a college basketball game on Saturday. Neoklis Avdalas and Tobi Lawal each scored 17 points for the Hokies, who shot 51% from the field and led by 10 points at halftime. Virginia Tech pulled away in the second half, leading by as many as 16 points and never letting the margin drop below that. The Hokies had six players finish in double figures, while Wake Forest was led by Juke Harris' 16 points.

Why it matters

This was an important conference win for Virginia Tech, which improved to 18-10 overall and 7-8 in ACC play. The Hokies snapped a two-game losing streak and handed Wake Forest its first loss in four games. The 19-point margin was Virginia Tech's largest ACC victory since February 2024.

The details

Virginia Tech shot 51% from the field and led 43-33 at halftime. The Hokies pulled away in the second half, with a 3-pointer by Avdalas sparking a stretch that included back-to-back 3s from Amani Hansberry and Jailen Bedford, pushing the lead to 61-45 with 11:25 remaining. The margin never dropped below 16 the rest of the way. Christian Gurdak provided a key lift off the bench for Virginia Tech, scoring 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

The players

Neoklis Avdalas

A Virginia Tech player who scored 17 points and had 7 assists in the game.

Tobi Lawal

A Virginia Tech player who scored 17 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the game.

Juke Harris

A Wake Forest player who led his team with 16 points in the game.

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What they’re saying

“This was an important conference win for us, and I'm proud of the way our team played today.”

— Mike Young, Virginia Tech Head Coach

What’s next

Virginia Tech will next play at No. 16 North Carolina on Saturday, while Wake Forest will travel to Boston College on Tuesday.

The takeaway

Virginia Tech's balanced scoring attack and strong second-half performance allowed them to pull away for a convincing conference win over Wake Forest. This victory could provide momentum for the Hokies as they look to make a push in the ACC standings down the stretch.