OPINIONS KENDRICK GOES COMMERCIAL ON “GNX”
Karl Chamberlain | opinions contributor
Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, “GNX,” breaks down his successes and past endeavors.
Kendrick Lamar is an artist who has written a verse from the perspective of the “I Have a Dream” speech, constructed an album that forms a coherent story when played in reverse and stitched together a posthumous conversation with 2Pac. With these endeavors in mind, his latest album, “GNX,” is certainly a deviation from his previous work. The concise 44-minute runtime and disorganized structure liken it to more of a mixtape. While “GNX” decisively stands as Lamar’s least conceptual album, it does so elegantly.
When Lamar emerged in 2010, he immediately proved his aptitude for coupling lyricism and flow ingenuity on tracks like “Look Out For Detox” and “The Heart Part 1.” He also demonstrated a concern for narrative in early projects like “Overly Dedicated,” which grew more abstract in his following albums: “To Pimp a Butterfly” added complexity to the linearity of “good kid, m.A.A.d city” and “DAMN” began experimenting with the
OUR CORE VALUES
Impartiality means reporting, editing and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively and without opinion or bias.
Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is the greatest source of credibility.
To provide the most complete report, a news organization must not just cover the news, but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, regardless of any preconceived ideas on what might be most newsworthy.
The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. Journalists’ role is therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and
manipulation of time. His previous album, “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” systematically broke down his past trauma and transgressions, confronting uncomfortable truths about himself and documenting his journey to healing. Even his series of Drake disses had a narrative, which continued with the unofficially titled “Watch The Party Die.” In this song, Lamar broadens the scope of his disgust with Drake to the entire hip-hop industry, rapping sinister thoughts over a haunting instrumental. He can’t stomach these morally bereft artists and executives, saying it’s time to “burn the whole village.” This track serves as a resolution to the Drake feud and a transition into “GNX,” aptly summarized by “it’s love, but tough love sometimes gotta result in violence.”
Lamar begins “GNX” with palpable agitation, picking up where “Watch the Party Die” left off. On the opener, “wacced out murals,” his aggressive delivery gradually escalates at a calculated pace. His performance
reveal only that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth.
When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.
Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com
All letters must include a name and phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. Other submissions must include city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed.
Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.
sells the song, with the suspenseful string hits and thundering bass drums matching his tone. This gritted-teeth, clenched-fists Lamar is my favorite of his many cadences, and he’s very liberal with his use of it on this project. He doesn’t waste a syllable, reflecting on how he’s persevered through life’s challenges and elaborating on his disappointment with the industry. Lamar bluntly states that “this is not for lyricists, I swear it’s not the sentiments.”
There’s no greater message, no overarching theme, no double meaning; it’s just his raw thoughts. This song has consistently stood as my favorite off this project, roughly serving as a synopsis of “GNX.”
“Wacced out murals” is the most focused we hear Lamar in this element, but his attitude persists on the more commercially appealing tracks. These include “squabble up,” “hey now,” “tv off,” “peekaboo” and “gnx.” Aside from the title track, these are highlights that have comfortably remained in my rotation for nearly two months, though I do have some minor gripes. Similar to the end of “Not Like Us,” Lamar attempts to include a repeat-after-me style refrain on “squabble up” that, while admittedly catchy, dilutes the song’s potency. I also think Lamar’s emphatic screaming on “tv off” is more novel than enjoyable. Lamar recruits smaller West
NEWSROOM
Coast artists to varying levels of success, with Dody6 being a clear standout. AzChike also provides an entertaining performance, but I wasn’t impressed with the features on “gnx.” Lamar’s disoriented ad-libbing and unhinged performance at the beginning carries the following three minutes of mediocre guest appearances, which is the only substantial dip in quality on this album. performance at the beginning carries the following three minutes of mediocre guest appearances, which is the only substantial dip in quality on this album.
“GNX” has a strong rap concentration, however there are a few melodic interruptions, namely “luther.” I don’t like Lamar’s singing voice, so I wasn’t fond of his isolated vocals during the first minute of this song. Things do turn around once SZA starts harmonizing with him, and the Luther Vandross vocal sample that enters before the chorus is beautifully used. The other Lamar and SZA collaboration on the album, “gloria,” is a zeugmatic ode to both his partner and his pen. Lamar didn’t commit to his earlier projection, “this is not for lyricists,” as every lyric on this song is a double entendre. The dual use of “blocked” to reference both writer’s block and the digital expression was particularly clever.
continued on page 3
COLLEGIAT E TIMES
231-9865
Editor-in-Chief: Victoria Weber (editor@collegiatetimes.com)
Managing editor: Emanda Seifu
Design editor: Annmarie Leake
Assistant design editors: Caroline Rogers and Sarah Jordan
Copy editors: Riley Vinluan, Olivia Guy, Emily Southern and Allyson Welmaker
News editors: Ayisha Surani and Erin Bailey
Lifestyles editors: Emelia Delaporte, Michaela Scott and Emma Duncan
Sports editors: Sam Mostow, Thomas Bray and Dylan Tefft
Opinions editor: Jenna Mason
Photo editor: Hamad Alhendi
Assistant photo editor: Maddy Djuric
Have a news tip? newstips@collegiatetimes.com
BUSINESS STAFF
Business manager: Viktor Fedotov (business@collegemedia.com)
231-9860
MEDIAMATE 888-897-7711 collegiatetimes.com/media_kit/ orders@mymediamate.com
The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The Collegiate Times is a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to provide educational experience in business and production of mass media for Virginia Tech students. © Collegiate Times, 2020. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.
Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Collegiate Times. Read about our organization’s Core Values online at collegiatetimes.com.
continued from page 2
Lamar’s most pop adjacent album still has a few tracks akin to the material he’s known for, like “heart pt. 6,” a storytelling track where Lamar reminisces on the past and pays homage to his loyal entourage. The song “man at the garden” makes a statement like “wacced out murals,” neatly articulated by Genius contributors who wrote “he deserves everything he’s earned because of the sacrifices he’s made, the principles he’s upheld, and the struggles he’s overcome.” To some, Lamar repeating “I deserve it all” 22 times may come off as pretentious, and understandably so. But keep in mind, on “FEAR,” Lamar’s “biggest fear was losin’ it all.” He didn’t trust his success, rapping “all this money, is God playin’ a joke on me? / Is it for the moment and will he see me as Job? / Take it from me and leave me worse than I was before?” The infidelity he later confessed to on “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” was likely one source of this feeling of inadequacy. Survivor’s guilt was a prominent theme in “To Pimp a Butterfly,” also leaving him conflicted over his success. “Man at the garden” echoes the parting sentiment of “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” He’s forgiven himself. It’s confirmation that he’s addressed his mistakes and cleared his conscience. He’s proud of what he’s achieved and more importantly how he’s achieved it, encouraging others to
follow his example.
Forgiveness is a virtue further explored on the most lyrically dense song on the album, “reincarnated.” Like “man at the garden,” “reincarnated” ties into the themes explored on “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” “Reincarnated” goes a step further than reiterating past revelations and addresses the pride he failed to overcome on “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” The general premise is that Lamar has been reincarnated as several musicians, falling victim to a new vice in each life and learning from each fatal mistake. In the third verse, he alternates between different vocal inflections to illustrate a conversation with God. God tells Lamar “you love war,” which Lamar frantically denies before requesting an explanation, to which God responds, “every individual is only a version of you / How can they forgive when there’s no forgiveness in your heart?”
In this exchange, Lamar is speaking for both himself and Lucifer, who some Christians believe to be the fallen angel of music. Lamar uses this theory as a narrative device; however, it isn’t widely accepted among Christians. Focusing on Lamar’s perspective, this is him acknowledging the hypocrisy of the Drake beef. He made an album about healing, controversially platforming a known abuser,
Kodak Black, to make a bold statement about forgiveness, and then proceeded to publicly vilify another man for similar offenses. On “6:16 in LA,” his second diss track, he asks himself “who am I if I don’t go to war?” He ends the verse by justifying his decision, declaring that “the industry’s cooked,” an opinion in line with “Watch the Party Die.” Lamar recognized this discrepancy amid the beef and defended it with reasoning he reaffirmed after the rap battle was over. Lamar doesn’t regret his actions; however, he concedes that they were governed by pride. He ends “reincarnated” by saying he “rewrote the devil’s story just to take our power back.” Returning to the idea that Lamar also raps from the perspective of Lucifer, he’s separated evil from music through distributing sin among different reincarnations of himself, this time correcting his errors. The remaining sin is pride, which he exercised to defeat Drake, a malign presence in the music industry, creating a parallel between the two stories. In both stories, this final act of pride liberates music of evil. This unnecessarily complicated explanation of his actions is certainly subject to moral scrutiny, but it does pose an entertaining challenge for listeners. Clearly, the songs composing “GNX” are largely unrelated; however, this uneven mixture of radio bait and introspective
digressions assembles a strong album. “GNX” is exactly what I wanted from Lamar after listening to him struggle for years. Despite his success, he’s continued to grapple with depression, lamenting on “u” that “money can’t stop a suicidal weakness.” On this same track he berates himself over his mistakes and the suffering he’s inflicted upon his loved ones. This darkness consumed Lamar on “DAMN,” where he reaches a hopeless conclusion. My favorite cut of that album, “FEEL,” is just Lamar rhythmically listing every source of his dread. This was the last we heard from him before his 1,855-day disappearance, attributed to the writer’s block he mentions on “gloria.” As a fan, it was gratifying to hear him emerge victorious on “GNX.” His impassioned recount of what he’s endured on “wacced out murals” is structured like a pep talk to those facing similar obstacles. He advocates for integrity and aims to inspire morality, further acknowledging his faults on “reincarnated.” He’s freed himself of guilt and is ready to accept his success on “man at the garden.” Lamar has found solace through the process he described on “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” “GNX” is a celebration of this success.
LIFESTYLES GETTING ROOTED IN THE SPRING
Emelia Delaporte | lifestyles editor
If you are feeling cooped up indoors this winter, getting outside to volunteer on campus can help.
Although it will be some time before warmth truly makes its way back to Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus, longer days are coming and soon we will be past the worst of the cold. Many wait idly indoors for greenery to appear with the wakening of spring. Meanwhile, volunteers on campus and out in the community work hard to ensure that when the warmth comes, the green spaces are ready.
There are a variety of places to get your hands in the dirt on campus and around Montgomery County. Each location has a unique composition of plants and its own purpose.
Old Growth Forest
This location on campus is also known as
Stadium Woods. Whatever you call it, it is an undeniable fact that these 11 acres are a rare site. An urban old-growth forest is not something that you will find on more than a handful of college campuses.
For those volunteering in the Old Growth Forest, the focus is on preserving and rebuilding the native ecosystem by removing invasive species.
There is a long history to the forest and how it was saved from the Athletics Department to still stand today. The fight made it as far as the Virginia Senate. A lot of work has been done by volunteer groups and the university to prevent damage to the forest by students’ poor, and often illegal, conduct on game days. Those projects have included building fences and removing trash.
Today, volunteering in the Old Growth
Forest mostly focuses on preserving and rebuilding the native ecosystem by managing and eradicating invasive species.
Beth and Fred Umberger are the coordinators of the project and its champions, going out each Tuesday and Sunday as long as the weather cooperates.
“I ask people to bring gloves and to wear closed-toed shoes, and I recommend long sleeves and long pants,” Fred said. “Not only [for] insects like mosquitoes, which are a real problem, but poison ivy, which we have lots of.”
The Old Growth Forest has a lot to teach those who choose to pay attention. Volunteering there can be a fast-track to learning about it.
“It’s a library, that’s what I tell people. It’s a classroom,” Beth said. “It’s a library of our
past.”
On Sundays, volunteers meet on Green Street. On Tuesdays, volunteers meet at VT Engage. The shifts run from 3-5 p.m. To get involved, reach out to fred915beth@gmail. com.
Hahn Horticulture Garden
Another on-campus location with consistent access to green volunteering opportunities is the Hahn Horticulture Garden. Six acres of carefully chosen and cultivated plants grow near the Route 460 entrance to campus. The garden has been designed and contributed to by staff, continued on page 4
continued from page 3
volunteers and class projects.
While the Old Growth Forest prefers strictly native flora, the garden cultivates a global diversity of plants on its grounds.
“The garden features hundreds of species of woody and herbaceous plants from around the world,” according to the website.
Volunteering at the garden can take a variety of forms. The complete list of positions is available on their website and includes fundraising, tour guiding, gardening and more. To be added to the volunteer list, reach out to vtgarden@vt.edu.
The Big Plant
While information has not yet been released for 2025, the Big Plant is an annual event occurring on campus that takes place over a weekend in the spring. Volunteers plant thousands of trees and shrubs on a selected portion of campus.
In 2024, the plantings occurred around Stroubles Creek. The event was sponsored by the New River Conservancy, the Stroubles Creek Coalition and a student organization, the Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech. Keep an eye on the website for information about the spring 2025 event.
Sustainable Blacksburg
Sustainable Blacksburg is an organization whose mission is to “become a model of community sustainability for Virginia.”
One of the ways in which the organization works towards that goal is through the facilitation of volunteer opportunities. One such example is their volunteer workdays on the third Monday of each month at Blacksburg’s Heritage Park. Another is working in the Hale Community Garden.
Montgomery Museum Gardens
In addition to her work in the Old Growth Forest, Beth Umberger is also the point of contact for the Montgomery Museum Gardens. This native garden is located in Christiansburg and is jointly operated by the local chapters of Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners.
Volunteers in this garden can work on a variety of projects. Reach out to Beth at megachile300@gmail.com for more information.
@COLLEGIATETIMES
VICTORIA CARTER / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Virginia Tech student jogging at Stadium Woods, Feb. 21, 2019.
2025 SPRING SEMESTER INS AND OUTS
emma duncan | lifestyles section editor
Welcome the new year with fresh perspectives, habits and outlooks.
Happy New Year Hokies! Thanks to social media, no one seems concerned about each other’s New Year’s resolutions going into 2025. Instead, it is all about what is in and out, that being one’s dreams for the year and habits they would rather leave in 2024.
Personally, New Year’s resolutions have never seemed sensible or applicable. They bring more negativity than hope, as “23% of people quit their resolution by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January,” according to Ohio State University. The feeling of failure can easily trump the excitement and pride one feels after going to the gym for the first three days of January. This failure can nest itself into the rest of the year through decreased motivation, low self-esteem and guilt.
I have not made a New Year’s resolution since the pandemic, but now that ins and outs exist, I feel more excited about January than ever, even with the spring semester beginning this week. To help us all feel inspired as we return to campus, here are the Hokie ins and outs for 2025.
Ins
Joining a new club
During the second semester, one’s social life and evening plans could use a fresh start beyond just sitting next to new people in new classes. Instead of doom-scrolling through reels, visit GobblerConnect and scroll until you find a club that interests you. It may be one from freshman year Gobblerfest that you forgot or a club that just started on campus. This semester, GobblerFair, a smaller version of Gobblerfest, will take place in Squires Student Center and is worth a visit. Whatever it is, pick one club, grab a friend or roommate, and go have some fun!
This could turn into a fun game where you go to a different meeting every week and unlock new hobbies, interests and social circles.
Going to sports games
During the fall semester, Virginia Tech is a sports school. Most Saturdays our campus is packed with students and alumni alike
whose only concern is winning a football game. As the regular season ends, some turn their heads toward Cassell Coliseum for men’s and women’s basketball.
For Virginia Tech’s other sports, attendance is dependent on performance, which is unfair. In 2025, let us live out Ut Prosim for our athletes. As the tennis players, wrestlers, track and field athletes, swimmers, divers, lacrosse players, baseball and softball players begin the spring season, let us fill their stands. Most sporting events are free for students to attend if they have paid their Spring 2025 athletic fee.
Testing out a new coffee shop
While Dunkin’, Peet’s and Starbucks are convenient for those with hefty meal plans and low bank accounts, Blacksburg has wonderful coffee shops just minutes from campus. Most are familiar with Coffeeholics and some mainstream rebels prefer Bollo’s Cafe, but this semester I urge you to walk farther than downtown to Halwa Bakery & Cafe or Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea. The change of scenery could lead to a new study spot, new friends and delicious coffee cakes (especially from Halwa).
Trusting yourself
In a world where trends come and go every few days and life is centered around a screen, it is easy to trust what the brunette with 20,000 followers says about skincare, clothing and overall lifestyle choices. While these tips may work for some people, it is okay if they don’t work for you.
It seems like this piece of advice pops up in most of my articles, but remember to check in with yourself. If you are sitting in a class this week that does not feel right, switch it out for another one. If you are getting ready for a night at Centro Taco Bar but would much rather read a book in bed, exchange that “going out top” for pajama pants. If at any moment during any day this semester you feel wrong, do what feels right. Trust yourself; you are very smart.
Outs
Staying in your room all day
For those living off campus, a day with no classes seems like the perfect time to bed rot, but the midweek rest our body needs shouldn’t be spent inside. An article from Talkspace explains that a mental health day during the week “gives students a break from continuous pressure, reduces stress and anxiety, allows time for self-reflection and self-care, prevents burnout, [and] improves academic performance.” This semester, don’t view that blank Tuesday in your schedule as a free day where time stops, but as a gift to go outside and walk, shop in Christiansburg, clean your space and call your mom for more than five minutes. Actively rest.
Never going home
This semester there are seven weeks of school until spring break; then it is all gas, no breaks until May 7, but it does not have to be. Many students use spring break to go on trips with friends and hold on tight to their weekends for Blacksburg’s nightlife. Do not forget to go home. Get in your car, hop on a plane or have your parents come here. College students cannot explain it but this semester feels inevitably harder than the fall. Just like rest days are important, familiar people can encourage us and remind us why we’re here.
Procrastination
If you are anything like me, you have been saying “I’ll stop procrastinating next semester” since middle school. While it hurts to say, procrastination is not cute. Telling your friends that you promise to study after you hang out with them is not cute. Falling asleep in Torgersen Bridge at midnight is not cute.
This semester, perfection is not expected but out of love for ourselves, progress should be. When those syllabi appear in Canvas, copy the assignments, paste them into a spreadsheet and organize them by class and date. Continue to romanticize the planner that you bought over the summer. We can do this.
In the words of one of my best friends, start the semester at your highest high,
because the semester’s progression causes us to decrease in effort and care. It is not our fault, it is just the truth. When we start at our highest high, though, we are still giving decent effort to the end of the semester. It works, she promises.
After reading this, try creating your own verbal vision board and decide what’s in and out this year. Use the tradition of resolutions and the grace of self-growth to make 2025 a year to be proud of.
SPORTS
MEN’S BASKETBALL PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT IN WAKE FOREST LOSS
Sam Mostow | sports editor
Virginia Tech men’s basketball had no business being in that game.
Wake Forest is good, after all; it entered Saturday’s contest fourth in the ACC. The Demon Deacons have three players averaging over 10 points per game, plus a seven-footer in Efton Reid. The Hokies, on the other hand, have a roster of three returners from last season.
Don’t let the lede fool you: the Hokies lost the game, 72–63. But the fact that they were in it in the first place is impressive — regardless of the final tally. At multiple points of Tech’s loss, they were out of it. The Demon Deacons (14–4, 6–1 ACC) jumped to a 10-point lead in the first half, then built similar leads throughout the game. Though the Hokies (8–10, 3–4 ACC) never fully took control, they grabbed a lead four times and showed fight through the duration.
“We missed an inordinate amount of layups and some foul shots down the stretch, and those hurt us … and Wake is good,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. “But I’m proud of our team and we are getting better — thank God.”
Wake Forest capitalized on Virginia Tech’s miscues. The Hokies committed 14 turnovers, from which the Demon Deacons notched 14 points. Wake also grabbed six offensive rebounds and turned them into 16 second-chance points.
“They had a couple of kick-out threes, and that’s typically what happens,” Young said. “We’re certainly susceptible (to it), and we work on it.”
Demon Deacon guards Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth gashed the Hokies all night. Both seniors, Sallis scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Hildreth added 21 points and three boards.
“Those two kids have played a lot of college
basketball,” Young said, “and I tip my cap to them.”
Reid was effective while on the floor, but foul trouble limited him to just 22 minutes. He drained two three-pointers in the first half to put Wake ahead after the jump.
Hokies guard Jaden Schutt finished with a team-high 12 points, including three shots from behind the arc. Schutt has been a bright spot off the bench, combining to score 29 points in his last two games after failing to score on the team’s West Coast swing last week.
“He’s playing with a lot more confidence,” Young said. “He was 0-for-California, unfortunately, but he was really, really good in here against NC State on Wednesday, and I thought good again today — playing with better physicality defensively, which is what we need from him. Eighteen games in, he continues to come into his own here.”
Forward Mylyjael Poteat followed Schutt with 11 points of his own, while forward Tobi Lawal and guard Brandon Rechsteiner each notched 10.
Freshman point guard Ben Hammond returned after missing three games — including the West Coast trip against Stanford and Cal — with a foot injury. He shot 1-for-9 from the floor, though Young said his struggles were more due to rust than anything concerning.
“I don’t fault him,” Young said. “It’s a fine motor skills game.”
The Hokies will look to get back on their feet and prevent another skid on Wednesday at Georgia Tech at 7 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBALL CAPTURES NAIL-BITING COMEBACK WIN IN 79-76 TRIUMPH
OVER N.C. STATE
It came down to the wire between Virginia Tech men’s basketball and N.C. State. And surprisingly, the Hokies were the team that walked out with the win, marking head coach Mike Young’s 100th win in Blacksburg.
The win looked out of reach late, as the Wolfpack (9–8, 2–4 ACC) led by 12 with six and a half minutes to play, with a 97% win probability according to ESPN. But then Tech (8–9, 3–3 ACC) made its charge back.
“It wasn’t pretty,” Young said. “And our team sometimes isn’t very pretty, but grit, toughness, determination, hustle — I think that’s what brought us to pull it back and maybe the Wolfpack got a little tight going down the stretch in the castle, and to get out of here with that one is certainly a feather in our cap.”
The game had been reasonably tight for the first 13 minutes — though Tech got out to a 29-22 lead with seven minutes remaining, N.C. State wiped that advantage with a pair of triples. Though Hokies center Patrick Wessler later hit a hook shot to tie the game at 34, those were the last points the Hokies would score in the first half.
Thomas Hughes | sports staff writer
Tobi Lawal had 13 points in the second half.
N.C. State went on an 11-point run to close out the opening frame, off three-pointers from guards Dontrez Styles and Bryce Heard to go with a trio of free throws from forward Ben Middlebrooks.
And the second half didn’t look good for the Hokies. The Wolfpack led by double-digits — peaking at 15 — until just over 11 minutes remained. Tech got as close as six before N.C. State’s lead ballooned as high as 13 with seven minutes remaining.
Three Hokies led the main scoring attack: forward Tobi Lawal scored the most with 22, while guard Jaden Schutt scored 17 and forward Ben Burnham got 12. All three played key roles in the Hokies’ furious charge.
Lawal scored 13 points in the second half to go along with two blocks — including a key stuff of Wolfpack guard Marcus Hill with just over a minute left to keep Tech within sight of victory.
Schutt, who was scoreless in each of Tech’s last two games against Cal and Stanford, scored nine of his 17 points in the final three and a half minutes of game time.
“Schutt practiced his tail off, continued to work at it,” Young said. “(He) was good, really good, looked fluid off of screens … To step to the line and get those two foul shots down was huge.”
Schutt kicked off his scoring barrage with a pull-up jumper that slashed the lead to four before driving for a layup. A minute later, the Duke transfer pulled up again — but this time, it was from beyond the arc. His shot was good and got the Hokies within one. After Lawal’s block on Hill, Schutt took a missed three-pointer but was able to haul the ball in and draw a foul off Hill, converting both shots from the charity stripe to give Tech a narrow one-point lead with two seconds left.
And Burnham then sealed the deal when he intercepted N.C. State’s inbound pass to go for a dunk that gave Tech a three-point margin at the buzzer, completing their miraculous 19-4 run.
Tech excelled on the boards — out rebounding the Wolfpack 35-24, with 15 offensive rebounds to N.C. State’s eight. Lawal led the rebounding charge with 11 (five defensive, six offensive) rebounds to go with his 22 points for a
double-double. Tech also excelled from the arc, hitting 11 of 22 from deep. It also did serviceably in the turnover column, accruing 12 for the entire game, though 10 came in the first half — something that can’t happen against Wake Forest.
With the win, the Hokies now improve to 3–3 in in-conference play. Though the season so far has been rough — with a buy game loss to Jacksonville the low point — it’s starting to turn around for the Hokies, and at just the right time.
“We’re certainly not a finished product,” Young said. “But this team is getting better. This team is enjoying one another … and certainly a reflection of that was their play down the stretch. Don’t count the Hokies out … We’re coming on, and I’m really proud to see it and excited for what lies ahead.”
Tech finishes its three-game home slate on Saturday, Jan. 18 against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at 2 p.m., with guard Ben Hammond certain to return.
HOKIES TRAMPLED IN THIRD QUARTER BY LATTIMORE, LADY HOOS IN LABORIOUS LOSS
Thomas Hughes | sports staff writer
The Hokies were outscored 27-12 in the third quarter.
Winners of three straight, Virginia Tech (12–5, 3–3 ACC) ran into a brick wall Thursday night — a 6-foot-4 wall named Latasha Lattimore. The Toronto native dominated with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks to lead UVa (11–7, 3–3 ACC) to a 73-65 rivalry win.
UVa started hot, hitting three of its first four attempts from beyond the arc. The Hokies matched their energy early and built a 13-11 lead by the first media timeout. Rose Micheaux scored four quick points, and Virginia Tech pushed the pace in transition.
After the media timeout, the Hokies’ offense sputtered. Three quick turnovers slowed their momentum, but they still held a 22-21 edge at the end of the first quarter, led by seven points from Carys Baker.
The second quarter turned into a defensive grind — or an offensive struggle, depending on perspective. UVa’s offense looked disjointed,
frequently using the entire shot clock without generating quality looks.
Late in the quarter, UVa’s struggles were epitomized by an illegal screen call, one of several miscues that stalled their attack. The Cavaliers opened the quarter 1-of-9 from the field. Lattimore led all scorers with 10 points but was an inefficient 4-for-13 at that point.
Virginia Tech also struggled to convert. Despite moving the ball well, the Hokies settled for perimeter shots they hit earlier but missed in the second, going 0-for-4 from three-point range and 5-of-14 overall. Micheaux led the Hokies at halftime with nine points and five rebounds, as the teams entered the break tied at 35.
Then, Lattimore and UVa exploded in the third quarter, blitzing Virginia Tech with an 11-2 run. The Hokies trailed 48-41 midway through the quarter as the Cavaliers found their rhythm.
UVa was nearly perfect offensively, hitting 5-of-6 shots to start the third quarter, with Lattimore leading the charge. The Cavaliers outscored the Hokies 27-12 in the frame, as Lattimore went 5-of-7 from the field after a rocky first half.
“We let her do the same thing over and over again without really changing anything. So that was all on us,” said Hokies guard Matilda Ekh after Tech’s second loss at Cassell Coliseum this season.
Trailing 62-47 entering the fourth quarter, the Hokies showed fight offensively but couldn’t string together enough defensive stops to close the gap.
Micheaux carried the load for Virginia Tech with 15 points and nine rebounds.She’s been stellar in January, with multiple double-figure scoring games and an ACC Player of the Week nod, entering Thursday’s contest fresh off
back-to-back 20-point performances.
Despite a late push, the third quarter proved decisive. Kymora Johnson and Lattimore combined for 40 points, with Lattimore’s dominant third-quarter effort sealing the game.
“She (Lattimore) was, for sure, the player of the game today,” said head coach Megan Duffy. Virginia Tech arguably played better for 30 minutes, but in rivalry games or any game, that isn’t enough.
The Hokies will get another chance to defend Cassell Coliseum on Jan. 19, when they host Jeff Walz and Louisville at 4 p.m. in front of a sold-out crowd. The game will include a special moment for Virginia Tech fans, as Hokies legend Elizabeth Kitley will have her jersey retired.
1, 2, 3, & 4
APARTMENTS & TOWNHOMES TOUR TODAY
SCAN QR CODE FOR MORE INFO
