Virginia Tech men's basketball routs Coppin State 88-54 in season opener

Virginia Tech opened its season with a runaway. The Hokies beat Coppin State 88-54 on Tuesday night at Cassell Coliseum, leading by as many as 36 points.

Ben Hammond led the way with 20 points, eight assists and seven steals in 33 minutes. He made 4 of 9 from three-point range. Jaylen Curry added 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep, though he also had six turnovers.

How it played out

Virginia Tech led 45-27 at halftime and outscored the Eagles 43-27 in the second half. The Hokies led for 96 percent of the game, and Coppin State's largest lead was 2 points.

The Hokies shot 29-of-58 from the field (50 percent) and 13-of-28 from three (46 percent). They had 20 assists on 29 made baskets and committed 14 turnovers.

Coppin State shot 19-of-52 (37 percent) and went 2-of-12 from three. The Eagles turned the ball over 24 times and had just four assists. Virginia Tech turned those miscues into 26 points off turnovers, and the Hokies finished with 12 steals to Coppin State's five.

Hokies standouts

Amani Hansberry had 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds, with four assists and no turnovers in 28 minutes. Tyler Johnson came off the bench for 13 points, going 6-of-6 at the free-throw line, and grabbed seven rebounds. Isaiah Elohim had six points and Butta Johnson three. Miles Heide scored five and had five rebounds.

Virginia Tech outrebounded Coppin State 38-29 and had 15 offensive rebounds. The Hokies scored 30 points in the paint to the Eagles' 22. Both teams were whistled for 20 fouls.

Coppin State

Brendan Johnson led the Eagles with 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding six rebounds and two assists. Sven Djopmo scored eight and Camaren Sparrow seven. Coppin State is 0-1.

Next up

Virginia Tech, now 1-0, stays home to face Mercer on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET.