The Maryland Terrapins entered the ACC Tournament needing to win it all to reach the NCAA Tournament. Not so for the Virginia Tech Hokies. They likely needed only to beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Florida State Seminoles to make it to the big dance. So far tonight though, that second step is proving very difficult.
The Hokies scored only 19 points in the first half, and trail the Seminoles by eight heading into the locker room. They are shooting under 20% from the field, and have made only two of 11 three-point attempts so far.
In order to have a chance in this important game, Virginia Tech will need a larger contribution from senior star Malcolm Delaney. The guard is averaging 18.6 points per game this season, but has only five points so far tonight while making only one of his nine field goal attempts.
No player on either team has yet reached double-figures as Florida State's Ian Miller leads all scorers with eight points.