From the sidelines
By Marty Gordon
The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team is looking for some company in the national polls. The women, who picked up a big win this weekend over Tennessee, are scratching their heads as to why the university’s men’s team is not receiving any love from the pollsters.
The women have shot to number nine in the latest poll, but the men ,who moved to 6-2 Sunday with a win over preseason number 1 North Carolina, have not cracked the top 25.
The men are the defending ACC tournament champs and need some love. They deserve to be ranked in the national polls.
Yes, Sunday was the team’s first win of the season over a ranked team, as the Hokies downed North Carolina, 80-72 Sunday afternoon.
The Hokies had four players score in double figures, led by Justyn Mutts, who recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Sean Pedulla tacked on 14 points and four assists, and Hunter Cattoor helped out with 13 points.
Led by MJ Collins‘s five offensive rebounds, Virginia Tech did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 10 boards that resulted in eight second-chance points.
Virginia Tech’s defense held North Carolina to only 17.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Tar Heels did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with four offensive rebounds and managed only four second-chance points while the Hokies cleared 29 defensive rebounds.
Justyn Mutts notched his 20th career double-double for the Hokies with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
MJ Collins had a career-high eight rebounds.
Grant Basile tied his season high in assists with four.
Hunter Cattoor is now number nine all-time in VT history in career 3-pointers made, trailing Zabian Zowdell by a dozen.
The Hokies and the Tar Heels will play in front of a packed house Sunday afternoon, the second Cassell sellout of the season. Under Mike Young, Tech has registered 20 sellouts, including 11 during his first season in Blacksburg.
Because of the cancellation of the UVA football game, the university recognized senior football players during halftime of Sunday’s game.
