Virginia Tech aims to extend its two-game Atlantic Coast Conference win streak Saturday afternoon when it visits struggling Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The Hokies (10-7, 2-4 ACC) come into the game with some momentum after beating Notre Dame last weekend and winning 62-59 at N.C. State on Wednesday night.
Virginia Tech dominated the Wolfpack inside, outrebounding them 37-26 and outscoring them in the paint 34-22.
A flurry of late turnovers by the Hokies helped N.C. State overcome a 14-point halftime deficit and get within 55-52. Sean Pedulla’s two free throws with 12 seconds left aided Virginia Tech in securing the win.
“We’ve got to handle those situations better,” Hokies coach Mike Young told the Roanoke Times. “We’ve been in a number of pressure-packed games. We’ve got to respond better than we did in the second half. But let’s take nothing away from my guys.”
Keve Aluma averages 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and Justyn Mutts adds 10.5 points and 7.4 rebounds. Nahiem Alleyne (10.4) is the other Hokie averaging double digits in scoring. Aluma had 10 points and 11 boards in the win over N.C. State.
Boston College (7-9, 2-4) limps home having lost six of its last seven games. The latest setback was a 67-54 defeat at Louisville on Wednesday, despite TJ Bickerstaff’s 12-point, 15-rebound double-double effort.
Down by only two points at the half, the Eagles shot just 27.6 percent from the field in the second half on their way to their worst field goal shooting performance of the season at 29.2 percent (19 of 65).
“Certainly we didn’t have to take the shots that we took,” first-year Boston College coach Earl Grant said. “We could have worked for a better shot and get something a little closer to the basket.”
Makai Ashton-Langford, DeMarr Langford and Jaeden Zackery have started all 16 games and account for nearly half of the Eagles’ 67 points per game scoring average.
Boston College is 6-3 at home this season and Virginia Tech is 3-3 on the road.
The two teams haven’t met since the 2019-20 season when Boston College swept both games by a total margin of nine points.
–Field Level Media
