CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Ben Hammond scored 30 points and Amani Hansberry had 17 and 15 rebounds as Virginia Tech fought past No. 21 Virginia 95-85 in triple overtime Wednesday afternoon at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg in the ACC opener for both teams.

Hokies freshman center Christian Gurdak added 17 points and 19 boards, and Neo Avdalas added 17 as Tech won its fourth overtime game already this season.

Gurdak’s uncontested dunk with four seconds left forced the second overtime, and UVA’s Chance Mallory’s buzzer-beating tip-in forced the third extra period.

Malik Thomas scored 26 for the Cavaliers (11-2, 0-1 ACC), who saw their six-game win streak snapped.

UVA’s Thijs DeRidder scored 17 of his 22 points in the final 5:31 of regulation and the overtimes, but committed six turnovers, including a key one in the second extra period. 

The Cavaliers went 10-for-45 from 3-point range, including a Thomas make with 4.1 seconds left in the second OT to make it a one-point game.

Virginia led 24-23 after an ugly, low-scoring first half. 

The Hokies (12-2, 1-0) shot just 27% from the floor, including going 3 for 11 from 3-point range, and committed six turnovers.

UVA was even worse offensively, shooting 18%, going 3 for 17 from beyond the arc, and turning the ball over seven times.

The teams were tied 55-55 with 34.4 seconds to play in regulation after a goaltending call gave Tech freshman Gurdak a basket off a Avdalas miss. 

On Virginia’s final possession, it got Devin Tillis isolated one-on-one on the low block against Avdalas, but Avdalas blocked Tilis’s shot and Gurdak grabbed the rebound. He got the ball to Hammond’s whose runner at the buzzer didn’t fall, sending the game to overtime.

Trailing by four in overtime, Virginia went on a 7-0 run, going ahead 62-59 on a 3-pointer by DeRidder. But Tech answered with 3 from Jaden Schutt with 1:45 to go knotting things up again, 62-62.

DeRidder hit one of two free throws, getting to reshoot his first due to a lane violation, to put the Cavaliers up 63-62 with 1:30 left. DeRidder than fouled Avdalas, who hit both to put Tech back up 64-63 with 1:29 remaining.

Gurdak tied the game 66-66 with 41 seconds left, hitting a pair of free throws.

DeRidder scooped up a loose ball and drove for the go-ahead layup with 13.9 to play, but Gurdak got an uncontested dunk to force a second overtime.

Tech went ahead 75-70 with 14 seconds left in the second overtime, but Thomas scored six points in nine seconds and Mallory scored on a tip-in at the buzzer to force the third OT.

The Hokies played shorthanded, missing starting forward Tobi Lawal (foot) and starting guard Tyler Johnson (lower body), and backup center Antonio Dorn (back).

UVA was without one of its top bench scorers in Jacari White, who missed his second straight game with a fractured wrist.

For the first time this year, the Cavaliers switched up their starting lineup, opening with Devin Tillis on the floor instead of Sam Lewis.