BLACKSBURG – It did not take anyone in Cassell Coliseum long to realize how much was at stake in Saturday's matchup with No. 6 Virginia. No group was quicker to the realization than Mike Young's Hokies, who never trailed in a 74-68 win over their in-state foes.
OUR HOUSE, OUR STATE
- Virginia Tech's win marked three consecutive victories over Virginia inside Cassell Coliseum. That's the longest streak since the Hokies won four in a row in Blacksburg between the 2006-07 and 2009-10 seasons.
- Despite it being the first game of the season that Virginia never held a lead in, the six-point margin of victory is the smallest in the Hokies' three-game run at home against the 'Hoos.
- Tech has won nine straight games in Cassell against Commonwealth foes with its Feb. 26, 2020 loss to Virginia being its last defeat.
RISE TO THE RANKED OCCASION
- Virginia Tech is 5-0 in its last five games against ranked opponents in Cassell Coliseum dating back to Dec. 15, 2020. In that time, Tech has an 8.2 average margin of victory.
- In each of those five games, the Hokies have been the lower-ranked side. In fact, despite making the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons, Tech hasn't been higher up the poll in a home ranked matchup since Feb. 4, 2019.
PEDULLA'S CAREER DAY
- After struggling to get it going in the first clash with Virginia, Sean Pedulla tied his career high of 22 points on Saturday afternoon.
- Without trying to do too much, Pedulla "competed his face off," as head coach Mike Young put it. Showing plenty of composure, the sophomore guard knocked down an impressive and vital 8-9 free throws.
- Along with Pedulla, Justyn Mutts (17) and Grant Basile (14) powered Tech's offense. The trio accounted for 71.6% of the Hokies' scoring and 73.6% of the team's assists. Saturday marked Tech's fourth consecutive game shooting above 50% from the field.
UP NEXT
- Virginia Tech will stay in Blacksburg for one more game, as it prepares for Boston College on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The game is sold out, but fans can purchase tickets to the contest on StubHub, the official secondary marketplace of Virginia Tech Athletics.