Hokies End the Regular Season on a High Note, Defeat Notre Dame
Virginia Tech pulled off a third-straight win Saturday afternoon with an 82-76 win over Notre Dame on senior day.
It was a perfect finish to the regular season, placing all three March matchups in the win column. The hot Hokies got off to a strong start with Tyler Nickel's shooting, hitting a three, a jumper, and a free throw for six points early on.
Tech climbed to a 22-12 lead during the first nine minutes, but quickly lost the edge on a hot streak from the Fighting Irish. A trio of quick buckets from Carey Booth, Logan Imes, and Markus Burton got ND within a bucket before Kebba Njie tied it up in the lane.
The double-digit margin erased, Sean Pedulla took matters into his own hands. He exploded through defenders to the rim, barraging the bucket with shots for nine points in five minutes to retake control of the game before the half.
Mylyjael Poteat's inside presence was instrumental in the win with Lynn Kidd stuck on the bench for a hamstring injury. He scored his eighth point off an offensive board early in the second half, throwing it down emphatically.
Poteat and MJ Collins' rebounding paved the way for success in the lane, which Pedulla took advantage of throughout the game. He continued to attack the hoop and pop for shots, shooting a solid 57% from the floor on 21 attempts.
Notre Dame fought hard, but Tech had an answer for every bucket, holding a narrow lead for the entire second half. Trying to extend the game, ND kept VT at the line, but they sank the shots, closing out with six to spare.
Burton held it down for the Fighting Irish with 24-4-4. Tae Davis followed with 13 points and six boards. Julian Roper II and Braeden Shewsberry rounded out the team with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Pedulla led all scorers with 28 points, adding six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals for an impressive stat line. Collins followed with 15-8-4 plus two blocks, and Nickel had 15 points with four rebounds.
Clinching a first-round bye in its final game, Virginia Tech will play Florida State on Wednesday at noon in the second round of the ACC Tournament in Washington DC.
