January 27, 2026

COLLEGIAT ETIMES

Welcome Back Hokies

BLACKSBURG COUNCIL REJECTS ONE STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT AS CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON ANOTHER

Benjamin Woltman | News Writer

The council voted against a rezoning plan for commercial and residential use.

The Blacksburg Town Council’s decision to reject the construction of a six-story student housing complex in December 2025 has brought up questions about the long-term outlook of student housing in Blacksburg. On Dec. 9, the council voted against a rezoning plan from commercial to residential use for a proposed apartment complex that would have housed hundreds of students within walking distance of campus. Local officials voted against the proposal in a five-to-two decision, citing concerns about how the development would affect non-student residents and existing land use in the area.

During council deliberations, questions arose about how the project would

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Impartiality means reporting, editing and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively and without opinion or bias.

Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is the greatest source of credibility.

To provide the most complete report, a news organization must not just cover the news, but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, regardless of any preconceived ideas on what might be most newsworthy.

The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. Journalists’ role is therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and reveal only

affect traffic patterns and pedestrian safety around University City Boulevard. University City Boulevard currently houses retail businesses, apartments and restaurants; these all contribute to heavy traffic, which is a topic that was central to the deliberations.

Another factor in the decision was the land’s current commercial zoning designation. The area targeted for redevelopment is designated for commercial use, and converting it to residential use was seen as a significant drawback by some town council officials.

While the rejected proposal would not have immediately affected the student housing market, it would have added a substantial number of units

near campus, where demand for housing remains high.

Despite this drawback, not all student-focused housing developments in Blacksburg have been halted. In January 2026, construction began on an eight-story apartment building on North Main Street. The project, which will include hundreds of rooms and amenities such as a fitness center, cafe and pool, demonstrates the selective nature of housing approvals in Blacksburg.

Future residential development proposals will continue to be reviewed by the city, with existing transit routes, infrastructure capacity, pedestrian safety and proximity to existing student housing being important determining factors of whether a proposal is approved.

that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth.

When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.

Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center

Blacksburg, VA, 24061 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

All letters must include a name and phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. Other submissions must include city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.

Town planning and zoning deliberations are expected to continue throughout 2026 and beyond as the town aims to strike a balance between meeting student and resident needs.

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Editor-in-Chief: Michaela Scott (editor@collegiatetimes.com)

Managing editor: Ayisha Surani

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Assistant Design editors: Caroline Rogers and Sarah Jordan

Copy editors: Emily Southern and Olivia Guy

News editor: Erin Bailey

Assistant News editor: Max Painchaud

Lifestyles editors: Emma Duncan

Assistant Lifestyles editors: Cat Pizzarello and Ella Winterling

Sports editors: Sam Mostow, Thomas Bray and Dylan Tefft

Opinions editor: Jenna Mason

Assistant Opinions editor: Mohib Amjad

Photo editor: Hamad Alhendi

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The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The Collegiate Times is a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to provide educational experience in business and production of mass media for Virginia Tech students. © Collegiate Times, 2020. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Collegiate Times. Read about our organization’s Core Values online at collegiatetimes.com.

SPANBERGER INAUGURATED AS VIRGINIA GOVERNOR

Julian Namez | News Writer

Spanberger signed 10 new executive orders on her first day in office.

On Jan. 17, Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as Virginia’s new governor. Spanberger, a Democrat, won the gubernatorial election against Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears on Nov. 4, 2025, making her the first female governor in Virginia history. She spoke about the significance of this in her inaugural address.

“I maintain an abiding sense of gratitude to those who worked generation after generation to ensure women could be among those casting ballots, but who could only dream of a day like today. I stand before those who made it possible for a woman to also participate in that peaceful

transfer of power and take that oath,” Spanberger said.

On her first day in office, Spanberger signed 10 executive orders. Many of these orders focus on affordability in areas such as housing and health care. Executive Order 10 (2026) rescinds an executive order passed by previous governor Glenn Youngkin last year, which required state and local law enforcement to assist in enforcing federal civil immigration laws.

Spanberger’s new executive order states, “law enforcement in the Commonwealth should prioritize the safety and security of all residents in

Virginia, the enforcement of local and state laws, and coordination with federal entities on criminal matters.”

Spanberger visited Blacksburg in Oct. 2025 as part of her “Virginia Votes” bus tour during her campaign. She spoke to Virginia Tech students and other community members about affordability, health care and education.

Spanberger’s platform on higher education includes monitoring efficiency efforts to make college more affordable and improving financial aid options by increasing state and federal support. She also spoke out against President Donald

OPINIONS

Trump and his administration.

“We need a governor who is going to stand up for Virginians and push back against every attack on our Commonwealth that is coming from this Congress or out of this White House,” Spanberger said.

Spanberger has also appointed Virginia Tech alumna Carrie H. Chenery as the Secretary of Commerce and Trade. Chenery graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s in environmental policy and planning and agricultural and applied economics.

AI ISN’T MAKING LIBERAL ARTS DEGREES WORTHLESS

Kennedy Monahan | Opinions Columnist

As AI reshapes the workplace, it may make the humanities more essential than ever.

As someone majoring in multimedia journalism, a question I am often asked is, “Aren’t you worried AI is going to take your job?” Liberal arts majors in general tend to be asked about artificial intelligence taking their jobs more than STEM majors due to the perception that liberal arts graduates leave college less prepared for the workforce than their STEM counterparts.

The perception that liberal arts degrees easier to get than STEM degrees can also cause people to think AI will make the humanities irrelevant. If it’s easy for a human, then it must be even easier for AI. However, AI is not making liberal arts obsolete. In fact, it’s making it more relevant than ever because the humanities teach skills that AI can’t replace. Skills such as critical thinking, ethical reasoning and understanding a broader context of a situation are things only a human could do.

What AI lacks are the strengths of humanities majors. For example, AI may be able to simulate human conversations, yet simulations will never be the same as the real experience because AI lacks connection. Artificial intelligence may be able to write

essays, reports and articles, but it does not possess intention or feeling. AI can recognize patterns, but it often struggles with context and nuance.

In a world that is now dominated by AI, people with backgrounds in the humanities are likely going to be the ones who draw the ethical boundaries of it. If people with STEM backgrounds are the ones developing new programs, then we are the ones deciding how those programs should be used. With AI, it is very important to remember that just because you can do something with it, does not mean you should.

For example, X recently announced that Grok had undergone “technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing.” This should have never happened in the first place when this AI tool was being developed. As more tools like these are developed and when companies begin to use them, it will likely be people knowledgeable in the humanities who prevent similar instances to Grok. This is because ethics are typically emphasized more in liberal arts studies, as students are taught

how to understand events and nuances of the past in order to make a better future.

Some companies are also beginning to understand that liberal arts majors can add creativity to AI tools. For example, McKinsey, a multinational consulting firm, is beginning to prioritize liberal arts majors as they incorporate AI into their operations. McKinsey’s global managing partner Bob Sternfels says “We’re starting to figure out which backgrounds tend to produce the most-creative solutions, beyond just the next logical step.” While liberal arts majors may not be able to create new AI technologies, their ideas may be able to help enhance them.

All of this isn’t to say that some liberal arts jobs won’t be replaced by AI. However, the same goes for some STEM jobs. It is more likely that the workforce will evolve around AI, because there will still be a lot of careers out there that have to be done by humans. They may even use AI for assistance, but not as a human replacement.

Additionally, the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace could create newer, different jobs. All of this might not happen for a while, however. Many in the American

workforce don’t trust employers’ use of artificial intelligence. Only 27% of U.S. workers say they trust their employers to use AI responsibly, while many remain unconvinced that it can make good judgments without human involvement. So while AI does play a big role in our lives today, it may not play a big role in the workforce for some time.

This all goes to show that the humanities will remain important even in the age of AI. Artificial intelligence has shown it can be very dangerous, and humanities majors will be the ones best equipped with the skills to control and prevent these dangers. That doesn’t mean STEM will become any less important than liberal arts. Both of these areas of study are necessary to help our world function.

Therefore, if people are going to worry about AI taking away jobs, the focus shouldn’t be just on the jobs of liberal arts majors, but on all majors. If AI puts pressure on liberal arts to prove their value, I think every major should be held to similar standards.

SENIOR EDITORS’ SPRING 2026 THOUGHTS OF THE SEMESTER

Collegiate

Times Editorial Staff

As graduation nears, senior staff share the words guiding their final weeks of class.

Tuesday, Jan. 20, was the last first day of college for the class of 2026. As seniors complete their capstone courses, apply for jobs and look toward graduation, time both stands still and flies by. One final syllabus week brings thoughts of hitting “Submit” on Canvas for the last time. Responding to the last “Introductions” discussion post feels more like hugging friends in caps and gowns.

The new year is a time for resolutions, change and growth. The last semester of college means something different to each student. Senior editors at the Collegiate Times share what phrases are keeping them going through their final

16 weeks of school.

Emma

Duncan, lifestyles editor

Stay rooted.

Two weeks ago, I was accepted into my dream graduate program at Liberty University, so while I’m boots-on-theground in Blacksburg, my heart is already headed toward Lynchburg. Maybe other seniors are excited about post-graduate traveling or beginning their careers. We can’t get ahead of ourselves because Virginia Tech has so much left to give us. This first week of spring 2026 has already made me feel more connected to my journalism peers, my campus

ministry and even my roommate than any other semester. My broadcasting performance class is full of genuine, encouraging people and I screamed Hannah Montana karaoke with my best friend. If that isn’t God promising abundance, prosperity and rich relationships in this season, I don’t know what is. “You make known to me the path of life, in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Remember when we first arrived in Blacksburg, the confusion we felt trying to find our classes and learn how to order on Grubhub? That wonder and discovery can still take place this semester — not

for what’s to come, but for what’s right in front of us. So go to that event, spend nights in with your friends, cook new foods, adventure around town, and stay rooted while we still can.

Sam Mostow, sports editor

“Never forget that you are here because you want to be here.”

There is no way I was the first to think of the preceding sentence, but I can’t remember where or when I have heard it

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before. I Googled it, and an episode of The Simpsons appeared — one where Homer quit his job as a safety inspector at the nuclear power plant (lol) and (literally) came crawling back. His boss, Mr. Burns, rehired him, then displayed a plaque at his desk reading, “DON’T FORGET: YOU’RE HERE FOREVER.” That’s more of a threat than a mantra. So, maybe I did come up with the aforementioned quote. But I digress.

I have a semester left as a student, then comes a transition. I’m not sure what the future holds (related: if anyone reading this would like to offer me a full-time job, my email is mostow26@vt.edu). It’s easy to panic about the future, but as Emma mentioned, we can’t get ahead of ourselves. My goal is to continue to remind myself that it is a privilege to be in Blacksburg with the opportunities in front of me. I don’t have to be here; I get to be here. Even when I get bogged down in the semester or nervous about the future, it is important that I remain present and remember that I really like where I am. Leaving is going to suck, but that’s a later problem. In the interim, I am at Virginia Tech because I want to be at Virginia Tech, and I am so beyond grateful for it.

Thomas Bray, sports editor

“The present moment is all we have.”Marcus Aurelius

In a handful of months, I’ll be referred to as an “alum” at a place I’ve called home for the better part of four years. Rather than dwelling on how promising my future may or may not be, I’ve become process-oriented. The outcome is a distraction. I know that if I do everything I’m supposed to do each and every day, the outcome will be the outcome.

Emily Southern, copy editor

Calm down and enjoy it.

As someone who frequently gets too stressed out about assignments and fitting in extracurriculars, it has taken me a long time to just calm down. What do you want to remember when you look back to your college years? Are you going to regret being so stressed out and not being able to enjoy your time?

During my last 16 weeks, I will be enjoying every minute, not wishing for something to be over or wishing I could already be somewhere else. Take every day as it is your last. Because one day it will be.

Olivia Guy, copy editor

“If you never bleed, you’re never gonna grow.”- Taylor Swift

As the great Taylor Swift once reminded us, growth isn’t painless, and college taught me that sometimes progress looks like stepping back, healing, and finding the courage to move forward — even when you don’t feel ready. I had a plan going into freshman year: a clear path, a timeline and a belief that I could meet every expectation if I just worked hard enough. But then life happened. I faced challenges I had never anticipated and quickly found myself barreling down a path that would only end tragically. While taking a semester off felt like the world was crumbling around me, it was a necessary detour. A chance to focus on my mental health, reflect, and regain my strength. Now, a third-year student, graduating a year early, I recognize that every pause, every challenge, and every painful moment of growth was part of the journey. If there’s one piece of advice I can offer after finding out what rock bottom feels like, it’s this: It’s okay to step back, take care of yourself, and keep going at your own pace — that’s where real growth happens.

Amanda Donndelinger, copy editor

“There was so much to love, I could not love it all; I could not love it enough.”

- Louise Bogan

As a transfer student from the coolest state ever (Maryland), I only got to spend two years here at Virginia Tech. I’ve found in the past three semesters that even if I had 20 years here, it still wouldn’t be enough. I’ve also found that I spend too much time wishing I had more time instead of actually enjoying it. For my last semester here, I’m going to focus on basking in my experiences and relationships rather than attempting to just have as many as possible. If you’re anything like me, I hope you do the same. I also hope you are blessed with having so much to love that you can’t love it enough, and I hope you learn to be content with it.

Hamad Alhendi, lead photo editor

Never stop learning.

Learning is a continuous experience that helps us improve as human beings. There is no true end goal to reach; we all strive to be a better version of ourselves than yesterday. We want to be the best

friends, best partners, best parents, the best at what we do. But don’t let the word “best” blind you, as you can become better than the best.

Let your passions, dreams and hunger for better lead you. Choose the road that appeals to you, and look for the benefits you can gain from the journeys you take. You probably hear that “life is a journey,” but in reality, it is a collection of journeys. We go through different phases of life, and you are reaching the end of one of them. At the same time, you are looking forward to the next journey after you graduate. This is the fun phase where you discover yourselves in a new world.

Embrace the new life, yes, even if it’s scary. Do not worry about falling, as this is where the best lessons in life lie. And once you stand up, you can savor the sweet taste of getting back up and taking the next step, knowing you have become better. Surround yourself with the best people who cheer you on, give you a hand and are always by your side, whether you are smiling or crying.

I couldn’t have gone through my Ph.D. without the support of my beautiful wife, Sarah, my wonderful kids and my parents. But first and foremost, I wouldn’t have gotten nor achieved anything in my life without the gifts and blessings from Allah. He lights my path and guides me in every step I take. I can never be thankful enough to him.

Annmarie Leake, design editor

Everything happens for a reason. Over the past few weeks, this thought has been at the forefront of my mind. Not only because it was the focus of my optometry and medical school personal statement or because I consider it a mantra for life, but because I am overwhelmed with gratitude for where I am today. Life isn’t easy, and its challenges come in many different forms, but I truly believe that there is a reason behind everything that happens to us. Although many struggles and disappointments can feel world-ending in the moment, another door always opens. Remembering this isn’t always easy, especially during difficult times, but this year I am making a conscious effort to step back, reflect, and choose gratitude.

Ayisha Surani, managing editor

“Maybe you are searching among the branches, for what only appears in the roots.” - Rumi

When I started at Virginia Tech, I was so excited to leave my home and make a name for myself. I remember my mother telling me not to lose myself. I didn’t really understand what she meant until I saw myself start letting go of the ideals that made me who I am. This was the first time in my life that my story didn’t align exactly with my family back home. They didn’t know every detail and what my everyday life looked like anymore, which at the time I saw as freedom.

Years later, and my advice is the same as the one my mother gave me. Don’t lose yourself. Don’t forget your purpose in life and be proud of where you came from. Without that, you wouldn’t be where you are today. It may seem silly when you think about it — it’s just a state school, after all! You will come to realize the doors Virginia Tech opens, both socially and academically, make it more than just that.

“But seek, through what Allah has given you, the Home of the Hereafter, and do not forget your share of the world.” –The Holy Quran, Surah Al-Qasas, verse 28:77.

Michaela Scott, editor-in-chief

Every day is a new opportunity to become a better version of yourself.

As I embark on my last semester of college, it’s critical to remind myself that each day is a chance to improve or try something new. At Virginia Tech, we’re surrounded by endless opportunities and resources at our fingertips, whether that’s cheering on the Hokies at a sports game, visiting a new part of campus, attending an event on GobblerConnect or getting involved in the New River Valley. While I’m incredibly excited to graduate in May, Blacksburg has become a second home to me, and making the most of each day is what I’ll carry with me at the end of this chapter. Post-graduate life isn’t anything to fear, but it’s worth recognizing that life may never mirror the sense of community we have here in and around campus. Adding on to Sam, it’s a privilege to be a student at Virginia Tech, and through the next few months, I won’t take that for granted and will stay committed to being a better version of myself each and every day.

MEN’S BASKETBALL SUFFERS SETBACK VS. NO. 23 LOUISVILLE

Virginia Tech men’s basketball lost, 85-71, to Louisville on Saturday due to a cold end of the first half and a poor shooting night.

Louisville (14-5, 4-3 ACC) snapped the Hokies’ (15-6, 3-4 ACC) two-game winning streak, along with their trend of close finishes. The Cardinals led for the entire second half and led by 14 when the clock hit zero.

The Hokies started well defensively, holding the explosive Louisville offense to only 14-for-35 from the field. After the half, the Louisville offense found form again, shooting 17-for-31 from the field and 7-for-16 from deep, both up from its season averages entering Saturday of 46.8% from the field and 35.1% on 3-pointers. The Hokies also had a big game, altering shots at the rim, tallying seven blocks — their most since Dec. 11

Alex Winn | Sports Staff Writer

Jailen Bedford scored 24 points in the loss.

against Western Carolina (eight).

The Cardinals’ defense was even more stout than Tech’s, shutting down their three leading scorers: forward Amani Hansberry, forward Tobi Lawal and guard Neoklis Avdalas. Louisville held the trio to a combined 16 points and a 6-for-27 shooting clip. The one offensive bright spot for the Hokies as a team was 3-point shooting. Tech’s offense was the most 3-point reliant it’s been all season; it converted a season-high 16 shots from behind the arc.

The game was close and competitive up until a 14-3 Louisville run in the waning minutes of the first half, which extended the Cardinals’ lead from four to 15. The Hokies even won the second half, outscoring Louisville 49-48, but the swing at the end of the first period was too significant.

Virginia Tech guard Jailen Bedford had one of his best games as a Hokie. Bedford, who spent the last two years at UNLV and Oral Roberts, put up 24 points, five rebounds, three assists, shot 8-for-15 from the field and hit six of his eight 3-point attempts. Bedford also accounted for 11 of the Hokies’ 22 points in the first half.

Louisville star freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. returned after he suffered a lower-back injury on Dec. 13 and missed eight games. The Cardinals went 4-4 without Brown in their lineup. Hokies head coach Mike Young assigned Bedford to guard Brown, as one of the Hokies’ better on-ball defenders. Brown, in his return, posted 20 points, six assists and shot 7-for-11 from the field.

Louisville had three other players in double figures: guard J’Vonne

Hadley, guard Ryan Conwell and forward Sananda Fru. Hokies guard Ben Hammond continued his great ACC play by scoring 18 points and making four 3-pointers.

Saturday was the third game all season that the Hokies dropped by more than one possession, the other two against Saint Mary’s (11) and VCU (18). This is the Hokies’ first loss by more than three in ACC play.

The Hokies will return to Blacksburg to continue ACC play against Georgia Tech on Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET

‘I’M SO PROUD OF OUR TEAM FOR FIGHTING’: WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ERASES DEFICIT FOR ACC WIN

Sam Mostow | Sports Editor

“You

know when a team has momentum and you know what side of it you are on. And I think during that fourth quarter, it was on our side.”

The Virginia Tech women’s basketball squad that surrendered a 13-0 run in the second quarter to Clemson on Thursday did look like the same team that outscored its opponent 22-9 in the fourth.

The Hokies (15-5, 5-3 ACC) of the first half shot 36% from the floor while their opponent went 67%. In an 85-second span in the second quarter, Tigers guard Taylor Johnson-Matthews notched eight points, while her teammates added another five. The Tigers (13-7, 4-4 ACC) outscored their opponents in the first three quarters by four, 10 and four points, respectively.

Clemson led by as much as 11 in the fourth quarter and carried an eightpoint advantage into the final 2:38 of the game. Then, the game turned.

The away team did not score after that mark. Hokies guard Carleigh Wenzel drew a foul and hit two free throws to cut the deficit to six. Forward Carys Baker drew one of her own and hit both shots.

Tigers forward Demeara Hinds turned

the ball over. On the other end, Wenzel drove into the lane, saw three Clemson defenders around her and found guard Samyha Suffren on the left wing. Suffren, wide open, released and swished a 3-pointer. One-point game with 1:27 left.

Baker blocked Clemson’s next shot and it set up a possession where the Hokies could take the lead. Suffren missed a jump shot as the shot clock dwindled, then forward Kilah Freelon grabbed an offensive rebound to reset the shot clock.

“I swear Kilah was flying through the air,” Baker said. “When I looked up, I saw the shot go up, and I’m going in. And here comes Kilah, out of the air and just grabs it. We sat down at the timeout, and I was like, ‘Kilah, I don’t even know how you held onto that ball.’ I was just in disbelief.”

Speaking of Baker: She hit the gamewinning shot. Like the play that resulted in Suffren’s 3-pointer, Wenzel started with the ball. But instead of kicking out behind the arc, she found Baker in the

lane, who put up a jumper for a lead.

“We knew what we were gonna get into,” Wenzel said. “I told Carys, ‘Hey, I’m driving (to the) baseline.’ I said: ‘So, I (will) cut. Go get it.’ That’s exactly what we did — and she went and got it.

“I didn’t think it was gonna be that on the money. I thought we were gonna have to make some reads out of it, but we talked about it and we knew exactly what we were gonna go for, because that’s what was there the whole game. And I trusted her and I know she trusted me.”

Two free throws and a Clemson turnover later, Virginia Tech escaped with a win.

“You know when a team has momentum and you know what side of it you are on,” Wenzel said. “And I think during that fourth quarter, it was on our side.”

Even though Clemson led for more than three quarters of the game, the two teams remained even in many aspects. Both shot exactly 50% from the floor. The difference was the Tigers’ 3-for-11

dry spell in the fourth and Tech’s 6-for-15 heater — including 2-for-3 from deep. Another difference was the Hokies’ 28 points from turnovers, as opposed to the Tigers’ eight.

“I don’t know if we were great in transition, to be honest with you,” said Virginia Tech head coach Megan Duffy. “I thought we had timely baskets in transition and I thought we created some turnovers that helped late in the game.”

Baker and Wenzel each notched 24 points. Baker added eight rebounds; Wenzel added two assists — both in crucial moments.

Their clutch play propelled the Hokies against a team with a similar record and NET ranking. That type of win will become even more crucial as the calendar reaches February and teams around the country solidify their NCAA Tournament resumes. In the interim, a trip to Winston Salem, North Carolina, awaits for a game against Wake Forest this weekend.

“I’m so proud of our team for fighting,”Duffy said. “Obviously, the first three quarters weren’t great for us. … Somehow, in that fourth quarter when we were down a lot, they found a different gear.”