Hokies steal one in Miami, position themselves for NCAA Tournament In 71-70 win

By Carter Hill

Staff Writer

February 26, 2022

Exactly one month ago today, Virginia Tech sat dead last in the ACC. A 2-7 in conference play, the Hokies were 10-10 overall, licking their wounds following a demoralizing defeat to Miami on a half-court heave.

Since then, the Hokies (18-11, 10-8 ACC) have rattled off eight of their last nine, are poised to finish in the top-half of the conference and are pushing for an improbable bid in the NCAA Tournament.

What once seemed like a lost cause now stands clear in reality. And now, after Tech’s 71-70 victory at Miami (20-9, 12-6 ACC) on Saturday afternoon, the dream to reach the program’s fifth-consecutive big dance, continues to seem more realistic.

“We’ve come a long, long way, haven’t we?” Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young said postgame. “[Just a] great level of resolve. [We] hung in there. [It] wasn’t always pretty. Frustrating, just not great basketball from us. [Keve] Aluma was good, [Justyn] Mutts was good. We hit some big shots.”

They sure did, but maybe not from the usual duo Young had just named.

Seventeen points from freshman guard Sean Pedulla and 13 points from Darius Maddox sparked the flame the Hokies ever-so-needed.

“They’re helping us win,” Young said about the pair of underclassmen. “Every game, it’s who gives you the best opportunity to win. Tonight it happened to be those two guys.”

Down eight with just over 90 seconds to play, the Hokies were left for dead.

A quick driving layup by Pedulla trimmed the margin to six, but the end result still seemed inevitable.

But a stop on the other end and a Pedulla and-one gave the maroon and orange a chance. Then, a steal further helped the cause. The freshman from Oklahoma picked sixth-year guard Charlie Moore’s pocket and dished the ball off to Aluma for a two-hand slam.

The lead then was pushed back up to four with 27 seconds to play, and after another Pedulla deuce, Tech was poised to play the foul game.

That was, until Hunter Cattoor deflected the inbound right into the hands of Maddox, who immediately fired for three.

Swish.

The Hokies had the lead and kept it to steal one right back from the Hurricanes to return the favor from a month ago.

Maddox didn’t have an open look, either. Already confident with 10 points on the day, the 6-foot-5 guard stood tall over the 6-foot-10 Sam Waardenburg. And without hesitation, he uncorked the triple from the right wing, burying it from downtown in what proved to be the game-winner for the Hokies with 14.6 seconds left.

So what did Young utter under his breath when he saw his former ESPN 100 recruit elevate with still plenty of time to settle into an offense?

“Not what you would think,” he admitted. “I want him to shoot it more. I say something to him all the time. He says ‘Coach, I was defended,’ [but] everytime he shoots the ball, the thing’s going in the basket. He’s shooting at an incredible clip.

“That’s a huge shot. I mean, that kid just rises up and bangs that thing home. Glad the Hokies won today and we didn't experience that punch in the gut [the half-court shot] like we did in January.”

Overall though, behind 30 combined points from Pedulla and Maddox, 18 to lead the way from Keve Aluma, clutch defensive plays and a season-saving shot, Virginia Tech was able to overcome 18 turnovers that resulted in 25 points, poor 3-point shooting and missed opportunities to pick up its first quadrant one victory of the season.

That’s a crucial ingredient to an NCAA Tournament resume.

So with two winnable games in Louisville and Clemson remaining on Tech’s regular season schedule and with the Hokies in prime position to now play their way into the field of 68, what’s Young’s message to the team about continuing the momentum after getting over a major hurdle?

“Let’s play well on Tuesday against Louisville,” he said. “We still got work to do. Let’s win tomorrow. We got a practice tomorrow in preparation for Louisville. If we keep winning, I would think that would bode well for the Hokies.

“I don’t talk about it (the NCAA Tournament) with our team. I just say, ‘That’s a really good win for a number of reasons.’ I’m sure they knew what I was talking about.”

But there’s no denying, it’s all come full circle.

A month later after defeating the ‘Canes down in Coral Gables, it feels as if the Hokies’ season has just begun.