There was little expectation that Maine would challenge Virginia Tech in the opening hoops contest of 2021-22. And the game met expectations.
It was how the Hokies earned their 82-47 victory that was interesting, though.
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It was not ACC preseason Player of the Year runner-up Keve Aluma pacing the Orange and Maroon past the Black Bears. He scored eight points in just 18 minutes, but his team didn't need much from him.
That's because forwards Justyn Mutts and David N'Guessan scored 15 apiece - with N'Guessan a perfect 7/7 from the field - and wing Nahiem Alleyne added 13 of his own in a romp. Mutts and Alleyne tied for a game-high seven rebounds each, as well.
The Hokies raced out to a 12-2 lead and never looked back en route to the massive victory. Walk-ons Ben Varga and Cameron Johnson - along with Clemson transfer Lynn Kidd - came onto the court to see out the 35-point victory.
Things might not get a whole lot tougher until a Thanksgiving Eve matchup with Memphis. For now, though, the Hokies will review the film, work on ironing out some of the shot-selection and decision-making errors that led to some slumps early in the second half, and prepare for a trip to Navy Friday evening.
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