Virginia Tech Basketball: 3 biggest takeaways from upset win over Villanova

Winning is the goal with this group

Things went a bit haywire for the Hokies when, with 1.3 seconds remaining in regulation, Justyn Mutts was called for a foul on the ensuing Villanova inbounds play after going up 64-62 on an impressive And-1 play from Cartier Diarra to Keve Aluma.

When Justin Moore made both free throws to tie the game and sent the game into extra time, the Hokies didn’t hang their heads, they stuck together. Mutts stayed alert, scoring the first five points in overtime and the Hokies went on to outscore the Wildcats 17-8 in overtime to earn a marquee victory in a shortened season.

In most scenarios, the more experienced, and in this case, the higher-ranked team tends to find their momentum and come out on top, but the Hokies energy level rose in overtime.

If the Hokies showed anything with this win, it’s that they want to play for each other and winning is the ultimate goal. They looked like a completely different team from Wednesday that led the Radford Highlanders 37-31 at halftime, that’s for sure.

Wabissa Bede hit some big shots down the stretch. Guys made plays for each other when it mattered and the result was a win over a ranked opponent.