Horne's Career high Helps Hokies Snap Losing Streak

Shelton Moss

February 16, 2020

BLACKSBURG, VA. - After several close defeats, Virginia Tech’s five-game losing streak is finally a thing of the past.

P.J. Horne poured in a career high 18 points, while the Hokies put together a stifling defensive performance as Virginia Tech defeated Pitt 67-57 on Saturday evening at Cassell Coliseum.

The Hokies were paced by Horne, who drained four three-pointers, including two in the final three minutes on consecutive possessions that iced the game for Tech.

“I thought he was really searching,” Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young said of the junior forward. “We finished the game with 21 assists and 10 turnovers. Those are our types of numbers.”

Virginia Tech (15-10, 6-8 ACC) got off to a hot shooting start, leading 30–16 after the final media timeout of the first half. Unlike last week’s loss against Boston College, where the Hokies led by as many as 12 points, the Hokies played for a full forty minutes to finish victorious.

“They’ve always worked and come back,” Young said of his players. “Everybody made a contribution to that win.”

Perhaps most impressive was the Hokies’ defense, which limited the Panthers to 35 percent shooting from the floor and only five made threes.

Pitt (15-11, 6-9 ACC) was led by Xavier Johnson and Au'Diese Toney, who each scored 12 points. However, the two combined to shoot just 9-of-27 from the field.

“We talked and talked and worked and drilled throughout the week: we want six eyes,” Young added. “We want six eyes on the ball when Trey [McGowens] and Xavier [Johnson] have the ball in their hands. I thought all in all, we did a very nice job with it.”

In the first half, the visitors made only seven field goals, allowing Virginia Tech to take a commanding lead and set the tone for the rest of the game.

A pleasant surprise for the Hokies was John Ojiako, who recorded four points, nine rebounds, a steal and a block in 14 minutes of action. The freshman center from Nigeria had previously never played more than ten minutes against an ACC foe.

“John should be a high school senior,” Young said. “[He] has to get bigger and stronger, and that comes with time. But he’s getting better and better. He’s going to be a really good player around here.

The four points from Ojiako included a thunderous two-handed dunk late in the first half that ignited the crowd of 9,275 at Cassell Coliseum.

The second half was a game of runs. Virginia Tech took a 51-32 lead at the 12:58 mark of the half, only to see the Panthers climb back into the game with a 17-5 spurt of their own.

In the end, two late three pointers from Horne and one from freshman forward Naheim Alleyne gave Tech the lift they needed, winning in Blacksburg for the first time in three tries.