BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech men's basketball team travels to College Park, Maryland for its Big Ten/ACC Challenge contest Wednesday night against Maryland.
The game, which tips off at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN2, will be the Hokies' second true road test of the season.
Last time out, Tech (5-2) fell to Xavier in a nail-biter, 59-58. After trailing most of the game, the Hokies were able to make a late push in the second half, even holding the lead in the closing minutes. However, a late three from Xavier's Nate Johnson, who had 30 points on the night, gave the Musketeers a one-point advantage.
Wednesday night's game will be the 43rd meeting between the two teams. Maryland and Virginia Tech have deep conference ties, as both were part of the Southern Conference and the Terps spent time in the ACC before joining the Big Ten.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Wednesday, December 1 | 7:15 p.m. ET
XFINITY Center (College Park, Md.)
vs. Maryland
Series: Maryland leads 32-10
Game Notes: Virginia Tech | Maryland
TV Broadcast
ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Doug Sherman
Analyst: Jordan Cornette
Local Radio
Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Jon Laaser
Analyst: Mike Burnop
THE SERIES
• Virginia Tech is 10-32 all-time against Maryland.
• Before meeting as interconference foes, the two sides played 38 times as conference counterparts in both the ACC and Southern Conference.
• Tech and Maryland's matchups date back to Jan. 16, 1926, when the Terps downed the Hokies, 19-17, in Blacksburg, Va.
A WIN WOULD...
• Snap Maryland's five-game winning streak in the all-time series.
• Make the Hokies 18-14 all-time on Dec. 1. This is the fifth time Tech will play in the Challenge on Dec. 1, posting a 1-3 record.
• Move Tech to 6-2 following a loss over the last two seasons.
RELYING ON OUR EXPERIENCE
• Upperclassmen have accounted for 78.2 percent of the Hokies' scoring this season.
• All five starters are averaging over eight points per game.
BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE
• The Hokies bring a 5-9 challenge ledger into Wednesday's matchup at Maryland.
• This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools in the Challenge.
• Ten of the Hokies' 14 challenge meetings have been decided by single digits.
REBOUND, REBOUND, REBOUND
• Against Memphis, Justyn Mutts (12) and Keve Aluma (11) combined for 23 of Tech's 33 rebounds.
• It was the first time Tech had two players record double-digit rebounds in the same game since Mutts and Aluma did so at Notre Dame on Jan. 27, 2021.
NA ON A TEAR
• Despite a sluggish start to his junior year, Nahiem Alleyne has regained his confidence over the last four games. The guard has averaged 17.3 points per game, while shooting .450 from beyond the arc.
• Alleyne was named to the all-tournament team in Brooklyn after averaging 19.5 points per game. The Buford, Georgia native shot 36.7 percent from the floor, including a 42.9 percent clip from downtown. He also averaged 37.2 minutes per game.
UP NEXT
• The Hokies open ACC play against Wake Forest on Saturday, December 4, at 2 p.m. inside Cassell Coliseum.
• The game is a sellout, but fans are encouraged to explore options on StubHub.
• Orange Out - Fans are encouraged to wear orange! This year's Cassell Guard T-Shirt will be available for current students (while supplies last).
• At halftime, Jeff Wright and the Flying Houndz Frisbee Dogs will perform.