BLACKSBURG – With its sights set on three-straight wins for the first time since November, Virginia Tech travels to Boston College for its second stop of a three-game road swing on Saturday.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Saturday, January 22 | Noon ET
Conte Forum (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
at Boston College
Series: Boston College leads 20-13
Game Notes: Virginia Tech (PDF)
TV Broadcast
RSN or ACCNX
Play-by-Play: Tom Werme
Analyst: Mike Gminski
Local Radio
Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Tim Bickford
Analyst: Mike Burnop
THE SERIES
- The Eagles lead the all-time series, 20-13.
- Tech has fallen in its previous two encounters with Boston College - both in the 2019-20 season. The Hokies dropped a 77-73 decision at home in overtime on Feb. 8, 2020 after being edged 61-56 in Chesnut Hill, Mass., on Jan. 25, 2020.
- Prior to the back-to-back setbacks, the Hokies had won five in a row in the series.
A WIN WOULD...
- Give the Hokies their third straight ACC win of the season and second straight on the road. They totaled three ACC wins on the road in 2020-21.
- Be Coach Young's first against Boston College as a head coach.
- Snap the Eagles' two-game win streak in the series.
- Improve Tech to 4-3 on the road this season.
HOKIE HEADLINES
- Over the last two games, Justyn Mutts has contributed 37 points on 15 of 19 shooting (78.9 percent).
- The 6-foot-7 forward has also chipped in 16 rebounds and seven assists during the Hokies' two wins.
- Saturday's game is the second of Tech's three-game road swing. The Hokies will finish the stretch with a Jan. 24 clash at North Carolina.
- Tech is slated to play three games in five days beginning with the Boston College contest on Saturday. ACC leader Miami visits Blacksburg following Tech's trip to Chapel Hill on Monday.
GET IT IN THE PAINT
- In Tech's last two games, the Hokies have produced over 30 points in the paint, leading to two wins.
- When Tech scores 30 points in the paint, the team has a 6-1 record. The lone loss was at Duke.
- "Every chance you can get to touch it down [to the bigs, Mutts and Aluma], the coaches make a good point: You have to touch them," Sean Pedulla said of the inside-out approach by the Hokies. "It's not like a black hole where some big guys, you throw it in and never see it again. They're looking to pass it back out to you, so whenever you throw it back, it's just get to the open spot. Thought process is just get it down to them, and we're at our best when we're playing inside-out."
DOMINATE THE GLASS
- The Hokies put together a clinic on the boards against the Wolfpack, who are third in the league in rebounds. Tech held a 37-26 advantage on the glass.
- Justyn Mutts and Keve Aluma accounted for 20 of Tech's 37 rebounds, which were a season-high in ACC contests.
- NC State's 26 rebounds were the fewest it's had all season and the league's second-leading rebounder, Dereon Seabron, tied a season-low in rebounds with five.
SEAN PEDULLA. UNDER PRESSURE. THAT'S P.
- Sean Pedulla had only shot four free throws all season and none in Tech's last five games, but stepped up to the line and sank two shots from the charity stripe with 12 seconds left – extending the Hokies' lead to three points at NC State.
- "They felt a little stressful, but I just kept thinking, 'I've hit a thousand of these in my life, probably more,' so I was ready for it," Pedulla said. "I was spinning the ball, breathing [to relax].' … But I just remembered how to stay calm, and I've been in that situation before. Maybe not on this scale, but just stay calm and trust your work ethic."