Virginia Tech was dealt a tough hand, visiting Pittsburgh just under 48 hours after their exhausting win over Virginia. The Hokies had not beaten the Panthers away from Blacksburg since the 1966-67 season, compounding the toughness of the challenge they had in front of them tonight. The fatigue was evident in the first half, as the Hokies failed to close out hard on shooters and found themselves down 40-29 at the break.
However, the Hokies found their energy minutes into the second half. A 12-0 run ended with a rare 7 point possession as Ahmed Hill drew an intentional foul on the break, finished the basket anyways, and Bibbs hit a three to give the Hokies a 54-53 lead.