Going into their semifinal matchup with Saint Mary's on Thursday afternoon in the Battle 4 Atlantis, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team had a tall task in dealing with the Gaels' height. Before the game, it was announced that the Hokies' leading scorer, Tobi Lawal, was going to miss the game with a lower-body injury. His left foot was in a boot on the ESPN broadcast.
He was ruled out for the remainder of the Battle 4 Atlantis, and Virginia Tech missed him on both ends of the floor. He entered the game averaging a double-double, and even though he struggled in the first-round win over Colorado State, he was greatly missed.