BLACKSBURG, Va. – Even with the long-awaited return of two of its top guards, Longwood couldn't stop red-hot Virginia Tech.
 
Facing a 24th-ranked Hokie (7-1) squad that just hours prior climbed back into the Associated Press Top 25, the Lancers (1-7) became the latest victim of Virginia Tech's ACC-caliber length and athleticism, falling 84-58 Saturday evening at Cassell Coliseum.
 
Riding 18 points from sophomore guard Jalen Cone, 14 points from 6-8, 235-pound forward Keve Aluma and 45 points from its bench, outsized Virginia Tech shook off multiple Lancer comeback bids with a series of scoring bursts en route to their third 80-point game of the season. The last of those runs was a 24-7 surge midway through the second half that turned a five-point lead to double digits and put to bed the upset-minded Lancers' final shot at a revival.
 
"I told them I was actually really proud of how they battled," said Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich. "To go down 14 in the first half, I thought they showed some real toughness to fight back, to continue to claw, and to put themselves in a competitive situation there at the end of the first half. I'm really proud of that.
 
"I thought even throughout the game, even to the final horn, they battled. There were a lot of really good things we saw tonight."
 
The game did provide Longwood two early holiday gifts in the form of veteran guards Heru Bligen and DeShaun Wade, who both suited up in the same game for the first time all season. Sidelined by injuries through the first six games of the season, both Bligen and Wade played 20-plus minutes apiece and provided welcome reinforcements for Lancer point guards Justin Hill and Juan Munoz, who entered the game both averaging more than 30 minutes per game.
 
With the closest version of a full Longwood lineup third-year head coach Griff Aldrich has had at his disposal this season, the Lancers twice whittled double-digit deficits to two possessions. The first of those bounceback bids took place at the end of the first half when a 7-0 run to the buzzer cut Virginia Tech's lead to 34-30, while the second came midway through the second half when a 10-2 surge turned the Hokies' 13-point lead to five with 11:30 to play.
 
However, even the return of Bligen and Wade was not enough for Longwood to keep pace with Virginia Tech for a full 40 minutes. The Hokies capitalized on even the slightest of opportunities, turning 15 Longwood turnovers into 15 points and 14 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points.
 
Aluma and Tyrece Radford created several of those extra scoring chances, with Aluma contributing defensively with three blocks and two steals, and Radford chipping in four offensive rebounds as part of a near-double-double of nine points and eight boards.
 
"Against Virginia Tech, the margin for error is so slim," Aldrich said. "You make a mistake, and they make you pay. You think about a bunch of our tough layups we took, we missed the layup. The problem is if you miss the shot, maybe it's not a great shot and it feels disappointing – but tonight that actually turned into a fast break on the other end.
 
"I think our guys really saw tonight that making the simple play was the right way. That's how we want to play, as opposed to trying to make the hard play. That's a lesson I think our guys really clearly saw tonight. I'm excited because I think they understand that in a deeper way now."
 
For Longwood, junior forward Zac Watson finished with eight points, sinking 4-of-6 field goals including a pair of dunks. Fellow forward Leslie Nkereuwem added a team-high 10 points for his second straight double-digit scoring effort, while Bligen and freshman Jesper Granlund matched Watson with eight. Wade finished with seven points in only his second game back in the lineup.
 
The loss signals the end of the non-conference portion of Longwood's 2020-21 schedule and sends the Lancers into a nine-day break for the holidays. Upon their return, they will face the remaining portion of their Big South gauntlet, which begins with a two-day home doubleheader against UNC Asheville on Dec. 30-31.
 
"It's now conference season in full flow," Aldrich said. "As I told the guys, I'm really excited about this team. The passion they're playing with right now, the competitiveness, and we have things we're getting better at – making the simple play, the ball moving better offensively, we have DeShaun and Heru finally back in the mix, and we should be getting Jermaine back after Christmas, which should be another shot in the arm.
 
"Then we'll feel like we're going into conference with all our arrows in the quiver. I think they're embracing and understanding what we're asking. It's going to be a fun conference season."
 
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