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.

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.

"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."

PREDICTION

Virginia Tech Hokies

Saint Josephs Hawks

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Saint Josephs Hawks Recap DEC 21TH 2024

Erik Reynolds II supplied 25 points to guide host Saint Joseph's to an 82-62 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday in a Holiday Hoopfest matchup in Philadelphia.

The Hawks (8-4) shot a sizzling 15-of-32 from 3-point range, led by strong efforts from Reynolds (5-of-11), Derek Simpson (4-of-8) and Anthony Finkley (3-of-4). Simpson and Rasheer Fleming chipped in 18 points apiece for Saint Joseph's, while Finkley had 13 off the bench.

Ben Burham and Ben Hammond scored 11 points each to pace the Hokies (5-7).

After the Hawks led by two points at halftime, Fleming and Simpson each drained a 3-pointer early in the second half to create a 40-32 advantage. Shortly thereafter, Fleming went 4-of-4 from the foul line and Simpson knocked down another triple to extend the margin to 47-34.

Midway through the half, the Hokies got their deficit down to 10 on two occasions. However, Fleming responded with a 3-pointer the first time and Finkley hit a triple after Virginia Tech got it down to 10 the second time.

Saint Joseph's cruised to the finish line, sealing its second straight comfortable victory.

The game got off to a slow start, as there were only four total points scored in the first four minutes. The teams continued to jockey back and forth for a bit until Saint Joseph's turned a 15-13 lead into a 12-point advantage using a 10-0 run.

Justice Ajogbor and Finkley each scored a bucket to begin that surge before Finkley's 3-pointer created the first double-digit lead of the game. Fleming's layup off an assist from Simpson made it 25-13 with about seven minutes left in the half.

However, the Hawks' momentum did not last long, as the Hokies scored the next 15 points to go ahead by three. Brandon Rechsteiner's 3-pointer capped the major push by the visitors, who held Saint Joseph's without a point for more than 4 ? minutes.

Reynolds answered the huge run by Virginia Tech with a layup and a 3-pointer in the final 2 ? minutes, helping Saint Joseph's regain a 32-30 lead at the break.