BLACKSBURG -- Opportunity is the mother of performance. Just call outhustling teammates in practice "grandma."

After a disappointing loss at Virginia Commonwealth on Monday when the Hokies felt like they'd been pushed around and -- worse -- didn't push back, Virginia Tech's practices became a lot more physical.

"The drills the past couple of days have been more competitive," Hokies freshman Abby Redick said.

"Losers have to run, that definitely makes it more competitive."

Redick figured her physical intensity in practice won her more playing time on Thursday. In fact Redick and fellow freshmen Aerial Wilson, Porschia Hadley and Taylor Ayers all got more playing time than they have in the Hokies' first two games, and the Hokies bench outscored George Mason 29-5 as Virginia Tech pounded the Colonials 70-41 at Cassell Coliseum.

Tech (2-1) also got a huge boost from senior shooting guard Lindsay Biggs, who started the season in a slump but hit five 3-pointers and score 18 points.

Senior Utahya Drye had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Drye and Biggs both said before the season that having a freshman class they can count on for additional scoring takes pressure off them. But Biggs had just eight points in the first two games combined.

"I was definitely off last game, the last two games," Biggs said. "But I got my feet down and started putting up shots, and I was on tonight."

More to the point, both Drye and coach Beth Dunkenberger reported seeing Biggs putting up shots on her own time over the past few days.

"You don't wish a problem away, you work it away," Dunkenberger said.

Drye offered some encouragement when she spied Biggs shooting in the back gym before Thursday's game.

"She saw me hit one when we were warming up and she said 'aw, that's money tonight.'"

It was. Biggs scored 12 of her 18 points in the first half, hitting 4 of 5 3-pointers. That and Dunkenberger's decision to play the freshmen early and for long stretches led to a 39-23 halftime lead that never dipped below double digits in the second half even with a 10-minute run without a field goal.

Redick had seven points and four rebounds and Aerial Wilson had four points, four assists and two rebounds. Porschia Hadley had six points and four boards and Ayers had two points, five rebounds and a block in just nine minutes.

Freshman Alyssa Fenyn, who has been in the starting lineup all three games, had four points and six rebounds.

Tech also got six points and five rebounds from sophomore Shanel Harrison.

"When I watched the last film one thing that was glaring to me is that some of our younger kids needed more opportunities," Dunkenberger said.

Despite the 29-point blowout, the Hokies still had plenty to worry about. That 10-minute stretch in the second half without a field goal was bloodless only because the Colonials went nearly nine minutes without scoring at all.

Tech gave up 21 3-point attempts and escaped damage only because George Mason hit just five of them.

And the Hokies committed 18 turnovers, certainly better than Monday's 24, but still too many.

"I think its too many because they were caused by our carelessness not by their great defensive effort," Dunkenberger said. "We didn't give them a chance to play great defense before we coughed it up."

GEORGE MASON (1-2)

LaTouche 1-4 1-2 3, Easter 1-7 0-0 3, Saunders 4-13 0-0 9, Braxton 4-13 2-3 11, Eley 4-11 0-0 10, Epps 1-1 0-0 2, Pickard 0-3 0-0 0, Hobbs 0-5 1-2 1, Robinson 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 16-60 4-7 41.

VIRGINIA TECH (2-1)

Drye 3-8 4-4 10, Gordon 1-1 0-0 2, Davis 3-7 1-2 7, Fenyn 2-9 0-0 4, Biggs 5-10 3-4 18, Redick 3-6 0-0 7, Wilson 1-6 2-2 4, Hadley 3-7 0-0 6, Logan 1-2 2-3 4, Grey 0-0 0-0 0, Ayers 1-6 0-0 2, Harrison 2-3 2-2 6. Totals 25-65 14-17 70.

Halftime--Virginia Tech 39-24. 3-Point Goals--George Mason 5-21 (Eley 2-6, Easter 1-1, Saunders 1-2, Braxton 1-7, Hobbs 0-5), Virginia Tech 6-12 (Biggs 5-9, Redick 1-1, Davis 0-1, Wilson 0-1). Fouled Out--Easter. Rebounds--George Mason 33 (LaTouche 9), Virginia Tech 53 (Drye 10). Assists--George Mason 10 (Saunders 4), Virginia Tech 14 (Wilson 4). Total Fouls--George Mason 15, Virginia Tech 12. A--2,248.