For the first time in Mike Young's four seasons at Virginia Tech, the Hokies shot below 30% on 2-point field goals. In Wednesday's late-night loss vs. Clemson, they made just 12 of their 43 (27.9%) attempts from inside the arc. In turn, the Tigers handed Tech its third straight loss, 68-65.
It's the first time the program has shot below 30% from two in a game since 2018-19 at Clemson, a stat only seen five times in the last 10 years. Moreover, it's the worst percentage since 24.4% vs. Duke in the 2012 ACC tournament.
"I'm really battling the thing," Tech head coach Mike Young said after the loss. "BC, Wake Forest and Clemson tonight have the ability to play a bigger lineup and I have a hard time matching up with that. I'm counteracting that with a big lineup on our own. Our spacing, our ball movement, our shot selection, at times, is not what it has to be."
Tech (11-4, 1-3 ACC) played without guard Hunter Cattoor for the second straight game. As a result, the contest was settled in the frontcourt. Big bodies collided, and the Tigers (12-3, 4-0 ACC) really enforced their will. Though nine of Tech's 21 makes were from behind the arc, it wasn't sustainable.
Four of the five starters - Sean Pedulla, Darius Maddox, Justyn Mutts and Grant Basile - missed between seven and 13 shots. There were four instances where the Hokies missed five attempts in a row, too.
They were better on the glass (42-36) and in terms of turnovers (11-14) and fouls (17-21). But it was like the rim had a cover on it, and they couldn't overcome it.
"It helps that Hunter Cattoor's not playing," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. "So it becomes a big body game. ... It's just physical. There's not much space, there's big bodies on top of you, you've got to play really good one-on-one interior defense. I thought we did that."
Defensively, Virginia Tech battled. No Clemson player scored more than 13 points. Hunter Tyson, who posted 31 points and 15 rebounds against NC State, had 13 and 14. PJ Hall also added 13, but many of the Tigers didn't find their footing until the second half.
In all, five Clemson players scored in double figures. Chase Hunter (12 points), Brevin Galloway (11) and RJ Godfrey (10) combined with Tyson and Hall for 59 of the team's 68 points.
Tech's defense kept the team in the game in the long run, setting up a photo finish. As has been the theme in the three previous losses, the Hokies couldn't pull out the win in a close game. But the defeats at College of Charleston, Boston College and Wake Forest were all on the road; Wednesday's contest was in the friendly confines of Cassell Coliseum, and things still didn't go their way.
Clemson built its lead up to eight with 8:50 remaining in the game, but the Hokies roared back thanks to a 9-0 run, retaking the lead at 58-57 with less than six minutes to go. While it was back-and-forth from there, both teams missed good opportunities. But once Hall hit a jumper with 3:56 left, the Tigers never trailed again.
Maddox, who played with confidence in the first half and scored 11 points, didn't get on the board in the latter 20 minutes. Basile led the scoring with 17 points for the Hokies while Pedulla added 14 and Mutts contributed 11. Yet, Tech couldn't buy a basket in crunch time.
After Lynn Kidd tapped in a miss by Basile, Clemson's lead was cut to three, 63-60. But Virginia Tech missed seven of its final eight shots over the final two minutes. Mutts hit a pair of clutch free throws to make it a one-point game with 43 seconds remaining, but on five possessions in the last minute of the game, Tech only scored once - a three from Pedulla with 11 seconds in a five-point game.
Pedulla had one final look as the clock ran down, but his pull-up three from the left wing was short. Tech trailed for the majority of the game, and even though it fought back from two eight-point margins, it wasn't enough to get a second ACC win.
"No pouting," Young said about his message to the locker room. "The only answer we have is to come back tomorrow and practice well, and they will. We've got to clean this up, we've got corrections to make. ... We've got to play better basketball and find a way to win."
The Hokies have seen more difficult records than 1-3 under Mike Young. Just last year they recovered from 2-7 in the league to finish 11-9. But without Cattoor, whom Young said "had a little setback," this Virginia Tech team only has so many options. Mylyjael Poteat, John Camden and MJ Collins can only provide so much of a punch off the bench, and Wednesday was an example of how Tech struggles when fully committing to playing big against a more physical team.
NC State is up next, and the Wolfpack are 12-4 (2-3 ACC) after blowing out Duke by 24, 84-60, on Wednesday. After that, a road trip to Syracuse is on the docket before clashing with Virginia in Charlottesville.
The schedule isn't going to get any easier for the Hokies. While they're awfully close - all four losses were decided by 10 total points - this team is completely different with a healthy Cattoor who can provide support handling the ball, spaces the floor and is an experienced defender. His return date may determine Tech's fortunes through March.
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