Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Saint Josephs Hawks Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024
Preview and Prediction
Following a grueling stretch of defeats, Virginia Tech seems to be displaying signs of vitality in recent weeks.
The Hokies aim for their third consecutive triumph on Saturday afternoon as they face off against Saint Joseph's in the Holiday Hoopfest in Philadelphia.
Virginia Tech (5-6) suffered six consecutive losses from November 15 to December 7, with the first five being by double digits. However, they showed a competitive effort in a 64-59 loss to then-No. 18 Pittsburgh. This may have sparked a change in direction for the Hokies, as they dominated North Carolina A&T by 28 points and defeated Navy 80-72 in their most recent game.
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Ben Burnham led the way in the victory against Navy last Sunday, scoring 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
"He had an exceptional game," stated Virginia Tech coach Mike Young. "He plays with a lot of intensity."
The Hokies had a strong shooting performance in the game, shooting 52.9 percent from the field, 10 of 18 from the 3-point line, and 16 of 18 from the free throw line.
Saint Joseph's (7-4) is coming off a hot shooting performance of their own in Wednesday's 84-57 win over American. The Hawks shot an impressive 60.4 percent from the field, marking the first time in almost nine years that they surpassed 60 percent shooting in a game.
Rasheer Fleming led the team with 26 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. He shot 11 of 15 from the field, while Erik Reynolds II (8 of 13) also had a strong shooting performance, scoring 23 points.
Reynolds' performance was particularly noteworthy for the Hawks, as the talented guard went 6 of 35 from 3-point range in the previous five games before going 3 of 7 in this game.
"You have to support and believe in your players. You have to assess if there are any technical changes that can be made at this point in a player's career," said Hawks coach Billy Lange after Reynolds missed all six 3-point attempts in a loss to Charleston last week.
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"It could be something as small as a toe, or it could be his legs, or his follow-through. You have to evaluate and decide if you want to make that change now."