PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers will face off on the road vs. Virginia Tech on Dec. 7, marking their first match in the ACC.
Pitt suffered just their second loss of the season in a 90-57 blowout at Mississippi State on Dec. 4 in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The 33-point loss ranks tied for the worst under head coach Jeff Capel, as they lost 91-58 to Wake Forest on Feb. 20.
The Panthers shot just 31.3% from the field, while the Bulldogs made 57.8% of their shots. They also led the Panthers in a number of categories, including rebounds, 49-27, defensive rebounds, 33-13, points off turnovers, 15-4, second chance points, 24-12, bench points, 36-27, and points in the paint, 52-14.
After an emphatic buzzer-beating win against Ohio State on the road on Nov. 29, it’s possible that Pitt was still thinking about that victory before heading into their matchup vs. Mississippi State.
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Who can blame them? Pitt was ranked inside the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2022-23 season when they held the No. 25 ranking for the final week of the regular season. Their No. 18 ranking is the highest since they were No. 18 for one week in the 2013-14 season, starting Jan. 27.
The Panthers were fifth in the NET Rankings before the loss to the Bulldogs They’ve since fallen to 12th.
No matter, Pitt gets a chance to prove an off-shooting and poor-rebounding night against Mississippi State is not the norm with a conclusion to their road trip at Virginia Tech.
The Panthers are catching the Hokies at a good time for their ACC opener, as their foe ranks the lowest of all ACC Teams in the NET Ranking at No. 231 with a 3-5 record.
After winning their opening three games, Virginia Tech has lost five straight, all at home. None of the losses were particularly close either. Their best showings in that stretch were a pair of 10-point losses to Jacksonville, a Quad 4 loss, and South Carolina.
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Virginia Tech falls short in several facets, but offense, especially shooting, is the main struggle. The Hokies have only two players who average double-digit points in graduate student forward Mylyjael Poteat and junior forward Toibu Lawal each average 11.4 points per game.
The Hokies looks to exceed the 19-13 record it has finished the last two seasons with under sixth-year head coach Mike Young. A main reason for the Hokies’ offensive struggles is guard Hunter Cattoor graduating and taking his 13.5 points per game and 40.5% accuracy from deep with him.
Virginia Tech also lost guard Sean Pedulla to Ole Miss for his senior season. Pedulla, another high-quality three-point shooter, started every game he played in for the program over his sophomore and junior seasons and averaged 15.7 points per game over that stretch.
They looked to bring in guard Hysier Miller from Temple to fill the scoring voids left my Cattoor and Pedulla, but would release him prior to the season starting due to an on going gambling scandal during Miller’s time at Temple.
Thus, Poteat has received his first opportunity as a starter. Poteat averaged over 10 minutes per game in his first two seasons at Rice and played 68 total games over the next two seasons at Virginia Tech.
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Poteat has already tripled his previous number of starts this season and is averaging career-highs in points, rebounds (5.5), assists (1.8) and minutes (24.5). Poteat is strictly an inside player standing at six-foot-nine. In his 122 career games, Poteat has only attempted two three-pointers.
Lawal is in his first season with the Hokies after spending his first two with VCU. Similar to Poteat, Lawal is getting his first real starting experience with Virginia Tech. Lawal is also a non-shooter but shoots 36.8% from deep on 19 career attempts.
Lawal recorded a career-high 23 points in Virginia Tech’s season opener against Deleware State but has hovered around 10 points per game since then. Lawal also leads the Hokies with seven blocks on the season.
On the season, the Hokies’ average 68.6 points per game, tied for the 301st in Division I, and shoot 31.5% from deep, 266th in Division I, both poor marks.
Given the Panthers are coming off a terrible shooting night, the Hokies are likely the perfect opponent to defeat on the road even if those shooting struggles don’t subside.
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Sophomore guard Jaland Lowe led the Panthers with 19 points against the Bulldogs but shot 7-for-21 from the floor. Senior guard Ishmael Legget, the Panthers’ leading scorer on the season with 17 points per game, shot an uncharacteristic 3-for-14 in the defeat.
A 33-point blowout is never good, but for Pitt who just came off an emotional road victory against Ohio State, it could turn into positive momentum if they can get right against a sliding Virginia Tech team.
Pitt plays Virginia tech at 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va. The game is viewable on ESPNU.
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We’re highlighting the many threads that make Virginia so special
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States and Virginia, we’re embarking on a journey to celebrate the rich history of the place we call home. (WSLS 10)
Virginia is filled with so much history just waiting to be explored. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and Virginia, we’re celebrating this milestone with a new series: Patchwork 250.
The series will highlight the many threads that make Virginia so special and celebrate every patch (whether that’s a remarkable person, an unforgettable location or a memorable event).
As this new initiative gets underway, we’d love to hear from you. Share your favorite pieces of history and be a part of Virginia’s ongoing story.
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Using Pin It or the form below, let us know: what’s a unique piece of history from your community that you think more people should know about?
Click here for more details.
Copyright 2025 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.
About the Author
Jazmine Otey headshot
Jazmine Otey
Jazmine Otey joined the 10 News team in February 2021.
A fatal collision between a motorcycle and a pickup truck on Thursday evening has claimed a life and prompted a significant road closure in South Reno.
The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) responded to reports of the crash at approximately 5:29 p.m. on February 26. The incident occurred on northbound South Virginia Street, just north of Damonte Ranch Parkway.
According to the Nevada State Police, the rider of the motorcycle, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. The driver of the pickup truck remained on-site, though no further details regarding other injuries or the cause of the crash have been released. Northbound South Virginia Street: Completely shut down from Damonte Ranch Parkway to Bishop Manogue Drive.
Southbound South Virginia Street: Open, but expect “rubbernecking” delays as drivers pass the emergency vehicles. Officials expect the northbound lanes to remain closed until at least 11:30 p.m. as the NHP Highway Patrol Division completes their investigation.
A new effort is being led by Commonwealth Attorney Krystyn Reid, with support from Sen. Danny Diggs to help missing persons. (Ron Lach/Pexels.com)
HAMPTON ROADS— A proposed initiative known as The Guardian Network seeks to strengthen coordination and public access to verified information when children, seniors, and vulnerable adults go missing in Virginia.
The effort is being led by Commonwealth Attorney Krystyn Reid, with support from Sen. Danny Diggs through a budget amendment to SB30. If the amendment passes, development would move forward through the Virginia State Police.
Reid said the idea grew from her years of public service.
“The difference between politics and public service is simple,” Reid said. “One is what you say. The other is what you do.”
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Reid began her career representing domestic violence survivors and said she witnessed firsthand how quickly families can be thrown into crisis.
“When someone does not make it home, that is a family’s worst moment,” Reid said. “The Guardian Network comes from a belief that we can strengthen coordination in those first critical hours and better protect vulnerable communities.”
The network is designed to complement existing alert systems such as AMBER, Silver, Ashanti and CODI alerts. Participation would be voluntary for both families and the public.
“It does not replace them. It reinforces them,” Reid said. “What we lack is one centralized, accessible place to see verified information. This is about coordination and clarity.”
Currently, information can be fragmented, she said, making it harder for families and communities to respond effectively.
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“Families in crisis should not have to search multiple platforms,” Reid said. “Public safety requires structure. Our response should be organized and accessible.”
The United Way of the Virginia Peninsula has expressed support for the initiative, citing its alignment with the organization’s mission to improve lives by advancing education, financial stability and health.
“Children are the highest age demographic experiencing eviction and homelessness, which creates unique vulnerabilities including separation, exploitation and trafficking,” said Charvalla West of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. “Seniors face increasing isolation, housing instability and caregiver strain in what many describe as the ‘Silver Tsunami’ of a rapidly aging population.”
She said the organization supports The Guardian Network because it strengthens coordination during the most critical moments when vulnerable individuals go missing.
“The Guardian Network aligns directly with our work to stabilize families and protect vulnerable communities,” West said. “When vulnerabilities are reduced, safety increases.”
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United Way collaborates with certified partner agencies across the Virginia Peninsula that focus on homelessness prevention, youth development, domestic violence response, aging services and housing repair. Those organizations would continue serving in their core roles, providing safe housing, trauma-informed care, mentorship, caregiver support and case management, while the network enhances coordination and awareness.
“The Guardian Network enhances coordination and awareness, while nonprofits provide the direct relational support that protects individuals before, during and after crisis events,” West said.
The concept also includes a second phase of development that would establish a standing advisory committee composed of survivors, impacted family members, nonprofit leaders, victim advocates and public safety professionals. A third phase would focus on identifying and allocating resources to support coordinated response efforts in collaboration with law enforcement, including ensuring necessary logistical supplies are available during active situations.
The immediate focus is Virginia. If successful, supporters say the model could be scalable to other states seeking to strengthen coordination in missing-person cases.
Reid said the goal is clear.
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“A stronger safety net. Better coordination. And helping bring loved ones home,” she said. “Everyone deserves to come home.”
