The Virginia Tech Hokies did what they were supposed to do on Tuesday night, defeating the Louisville Cardinals on the road, 80-64. It was Virginia Tech's second road win this season, the first being an 84-78 win over North Carolina State on January 20th.
Tech couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. He shot 53 percent from the field in the first half, making 8 of 16 from 3-point range, building a 49-31 lead at halftime. VT's defense was also great early on, forcing Louisville into 10 turnovers in the first half.
The Hokies didn't shoot very well in the second half, making just 10 of 24 shots from the field. Still, Louisville didn't gain much ground until forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield scored with 3:24 left to make it a 74-64 game. That was it for the Cardinals, and they didn't score again, allowing the Hokies to score the final six points of the game for a 16-point victory.
Five players scored in double figures for the Hokies: Robbie Beran (12), Sean Pedula (15), Lynn Kidd (11), MJ Collins (13) and Tyler Nickel (13). Tech made 13 of 29 from beyond the arc, proving it can be in any game if the Hokies shoot well.
With the win, VT improves to 17-13 and 9-10 in the ACC. Tech returns home Saturday to host Notre Dame in its final regular season game. This will be Hunter Kattoa's last home game, while Mairijael Poteet and Lynn Kidd have one year of eligibility remaining. That doesn't mean they'll be back, and they might even have a Senior Day celebration.
With this win, the Hokies currently hold the No. 9 seed in the ACC Tournament. A win against the Fighting Irish on Saturday will earn them a bye. When the Hokies won the ACC Tournament two years ago, there was only one bye.
