Mark Berman
BLACKSBURG -- Tobi Lawal was not too impressed with his Virginia Tech debut.
But he should have been.
The VCU transfer scored a team-high 23 points and snared a game-high eight rebounds as the Virginia Tech men's basketball team opened the season with an 83-60 win over Delaware State on Monday night at Cassell Coliseum.
"It was an OK Tech debut," Lawal said. "I could've done much better. I didn't play that well.
"I equate myself to a very high standard and I don't think it was good enough, especially in certain areas like the turnovers. A lot of silly mistakes on defense."
Did the junior have any jitters in his Cassell debut?
"I've played enough games not to get nervous," he said. "You can't play on eggshells. If you play on eggshells, you've kind of already lost the mental battle."
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The 6-foot-8, 215-pound Lawal started at power forward Monday. Lawal, who had displayed a knack for dunks at VCU, not only had three dunks Monday but also sank two 3-pointers.
"The work that I've been putting in this summer with the coaches, it's paying off," he said.
The London native was 6 of 9 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line.
"I don't think I did much. My teammates made it easy for me," he said. "This offense is really hard to guard. If you take something away, there's going to be something else wide-open. So my teammates did a good job of finding me."
Lawal also had two assists, two steals and two blocks.
"He's an athletic freak," Tech center Mylyjael Poteat said. "That helps him on the defense, rebounding. ... Shot the ball well. He can put it on the deck. So he can do a lot."
Lawal did have a team-high five turnovers, including four in the first half.
"Four turnovers at the half drives me insane," Tech coach Mike Young, "But ... he's such an explosive person.
"He's a darn good one."
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member Delaware State never led in the game.
But the visitors trailed just 49-43 with 13:51 remaining.
"I knew we'd have a long way to go," Young said. "I can scream and yell and jump up and down about how important transition defense is and how you've got to get set.
"We don't give up (baseline out-of-bounds) scores, but we gave up four points because we're not ready to play. So we'll have that film to ... teach with.
"A lot to clean up. But they're eager and they want to learn."
Tech returned just four scholarship players from last year's team. The Hokies had to replace all five starters.
"There's nothing like being on the floor when the lights are on," Young said. "We needed it desperately. ... There comes a time (when) you've got to get out of the locker room, you've got to go play. And I knew it was going to be a little choppy. ... But we got through it.
"To get this team to where we've got to be, ... we're going to get there. ... They want to get better and we'll do that. And I'll be able to hit them between the eyes on some stuff (in practice) Wednesday."
The Hokies shot 47.3% from the field.
"We probably took six or seven quick shots," Young said. "They were good shots, but there's a great shot to be had.
"Shot selection has to improve."
Tech committed 16 turnovers.
"Sixteen turnovers is excessive," Young said.
The Hokies played well down the stretch, though.
"The connectivity, ... the communication just (went) to a whole 'nother level," Poteat said. "Played with more energy."
Leading 49-43, the Hokies went on a 12-2 run to build a 61-45 cushion with 9:10 to go.
Freshman reserve Tyler Johnson had two baskets in that run. Reserve center Patrick Wessler had all four of his points in the run.
"Our team responded pretty darn well," Young said.
The Hornets trailed just 40-32 at halftime. But they shot only 26.3% from the field in the second half.
"Our defense definitely slipped for a bit, but then we started to figure it out," Lawal said. "We just need to be more engaged.
"We know they're going to try and get in transition. ... Once you take that away, in the halfcourt they're not really doing as much. We knew their plays, so we could call it out. And once it breaks down, they're just trying to go one-on-one.
"They want offensive rebounds, too. ... Once we shut that water off, ... we take away the offensive rebounds and (limit) them to one shot, it helps you go on a run."
Poteat, who has succeeded Lynn Kidd as the starting center, had 14 points and five assists.
"I can score the ball pretty well," he said. "I can facilitate well."
Lawal and Poteat were joined in the starting lineup by Jaydon Young (13 points), Brandon Rechsteiner and Duke transfer Jaden Schutt.
The game featured the Tech debuts of transfers Lawal, Schutt, Ben Burnham, Rodney Brown Jr. and Connor Serven; freshmen Johnson, Ben Hammond and Ryan Jones Jr.; and nonscholarship freshman Peter Carr.
Johnson finished with eight points and six rebounds in his Tech debut.
"He's a darn good basketball player," Mike Young said. "He's super smart."
Tech outrebounded the visitors 41-29.
Mark Berman (540) 981-3125
Men's Basketball
Va. Tech 83
Delaware St. 60
Next game
USC Upstate
at Va. Tech
Friday
7 p.m., ACC. Net. Extra, ESPN Plus
Va. Tech 83, Delaware St. 60
DELAWARE ST. (0-1)
Andrews 0-3 0-0 0, Newton 0-2 0-0 0, Kas.Watson 4-14 1-2 9, Robinson 6-10 16-17 30, Smith 2-9 1-3 5, Perkins 1-5 5-6 8, Surgers 2-4 0-2 4, Somerville 1-1 0-0 2, Kar.Watson 1-1 0-0 2, Clemmons 0-0 0-0 0, Shepherd 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-49 23-30 60.
VIRGINIA TECH (1-0)
Lawal 6-9 9-11 23, Poteat 5-7 4-7 14, Rechsteiner 2-6 0-1 6, Schutt 3-6 0-0 9, Young 3-10 5-7 13, Johnson 4-8 0-3 8, Burnham 0-3 2-2 2, Hammond 0-2 0-0 0, Wessler 1-1 2-2 4, Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Jones 2-2 0-0 4, Carr 0-0 0-0 0, Serven 0-0 0-0 0, Venable 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-55 22-33 83.
Halftime_Virginia Tech 40-32. 3-Point Goals_Delaware St. 3-10 (Robinson 2-2, Perkins 1-2, Andrews 0-1, Smith 0-5), Virginia Tech 9-28 (Schutt 3-6, Lawal 2-4, Rechsteiner 2-5, Young 2-7, Brown 0-1, Burnham 0-1, Hammond 0-2, Johnson 0-2). Rebounds_Delaware St. 29 (Surgers 7), Virginia Tech 41 (Lawal 8). Assists_Delaware St. 8 (Perkins 4), Virginia Tech 20 (Poteat 5). Total Fouls_Delaware St. 23, Virginia Tech 21.
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