Pedulla’s career-high 32 leads hot-shooting Hokies over No. 21 Clemson 87-72
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Sean Pedulla scored a career-high 32 points to lead Virginia Tech to a 87-72 win over No. 21 Clemson on Wednesday.
Pedulla tied his career high with six 3-pointers and set his career high in points for the second consecutive game for the Hokies (10-5, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a two-game losing streak. Pedulla’s previous career high of 26 came in Virginia Tech’s loss to Florida State on Saturday.
Ian Schieffelin led Clemson with 15 points. The Tigers (11-4, 1-3) have lost three consecutive games.
Virginia Tech, which moved to 8-0 at home this season, led by nine at halftime and held off the Tigers, who cut the lead to four points twice in the second half. Schieffelin scored with 6:59 remaining to cut the Hokies’ lead to 70-66, but Virginia Tech’s Tyler Nickel buried jumpers on back-to-back possessions — the last a 3-pointer with 5:32 left — and the Hokies weren’t threatened the rest of the way.
Nickel finished with career highs in points (24) and 3-pointers (5) for the Hokies, who made 13 3-pointers and shot 54.4% (31 of 57) for the game.
Clemson: The Tigers jumped out to a 9-0 start this season — their best start under coach Brad Brownell — but have lost four of their past six games. Defense has been the issue for the Tigers, who have allowed at least 79 points in three of their losses and simply had no answer for Pedulla or Nickel.
Virginia Tech: After two consecutive losses and squandering opportunities for quality nonconference wins over Florida Atlantic and Auburn, the Hokies needed this one. They got it in impressive fashion, doing so despite losing second-leading scorer Hunter Cattoor with an undisclosed injury late in the first half. He did not return.
