Virginia Tech Stuns No. 20 Clemson 76-66 in Key ACC Upset

Virginia Tech beat No. 20 Clemson 76-66 on Wednesday night in Clemson, South Carolina. Jailen Bedford scored 23 points to lead the Hokies to their first win there since 2019-20. The upset knocked Clemson out of a tie for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with No. 4 Duke.

Background

The Hokies entered the game with a 16-8 overall record and 5-6 in the ACC. They had lost two straight games, including one at NC State. Before that, they beat No. 15 Virginia on New Year's Eve but dropped close games to Wake Forest, Stanford, and SMU. Those losses put their NCAA tournament chances in doubt. ESPN's Joe Lunardi had them in the 'Next Four Out' group just a day earlier.

Clemson came in at 20-5 overall and 10-2 in conference play. The Tigers had won 27 of their last 30 ACC regular-season games. They just returned from a West Coast trip where they beat Stanford and Cal. That put them in a tie for the top spot after Duke lost to North Carolina. Clemson had strong home defense but looked a bit tired in this one.

Virginia Tech coach Mike Young has built a solid program. His teams have now won 12 games against ranked opponents. This road win over a top-20 team stands out as their first such victory away from home under him. The Hokies needed this to stay in the tournament conversation with six ACC games left.

Key Details

Virginia Tech shot 52% from the field and made 11 of 21 three-pointers. They closed the first half on an 11-5 run to lead 40-33. Bedford fueled that with eight points, including two threes, a three-point play, and an inside basket.

First Half Action

Clemson grabbed a 31-29 lead late in the half on an Ace Buckner and-one. Bedford answered right back with his own and-one layup. Then he hit a corner three off a pass from Schutt. Hansberry added a buzzer-beater three for the seven-point edge at halftime.

Second Half Surge

The Tigers cut it to 40-38 early. Ben Hammond, who had just two points in the first half, took over. He hit a three off a Hansberry pass, then scored coast-to-coast on an outlet. Bedford added free throws to push the lead to 49-39. The Hokies went up by 12 at 52-40 on Hammond's second three.

Clemson got to 69-64 on Carter Welling's three-point play with 2:36 left. Bedford responded with his fourth three to make it 72-64. Hammond sealed it with four free throws. He finished with 19 points, 17 in the second half.

Tobi Lawal added 12 points and nine rebounds for Virginia Tech, hitting two threes after making just four all season. Other contributors included eight points and four assists from Avdalas, and seven points with seven rebounds from Hansberry.

Clemson got 19 points and six rebounds from Welling. Nick Davidson and Ace Buckner combined with him for 51 points. RJ Godfrey, their leading scorer at 11.9 points per game, managed only six. The Tigers shot 37% in the second half and struggled from three at 27%.

"We tweaked some things offensively. We thought the ball was sticking in too many places. We had a better flow to our offense tonight." – Mike Young, Virginia Tech head coach

"We get out of here with a big road win and we needed it bad." – Mike Young

What This Means

The win moves Virginia Tech to 17-8 overall and 6-6 in the ACC. They sit ninth in the conference, five games behind leader Duke at 11-1. But this Quadrant 1 victory boosts their resume. Bracket experts now see them knocking on the NCAA tournament door. They host Florida State on Saturday. A win there keeps momentum going.

Clemson drops to 20-5 and 10-2 in the ACC. They stay tied with Virginia, one game behind Duke. The loss ends their first-place tie. They travel to No. 4 Duke on Saturday in a huge game. A win there could put them back on top.

The ACC race stays tight. Duke leads at 22-2 overall. Virginia is 21-3. NC State and Miami follow closely. Virginia Tech's performance shows they can hang with the best when guards Bedford and Hammond play well. Their defense tightened in the second half, holding Clemson scoreless on easy chances. Free throw shooting down the stretch proved key.

This game highlighted how small margins matter late in the season. Virginia Tech missed some layups but made big shots when it counted. Clemson relied too much on three players and couldn't get going from the field. Both teams have tough schedules ahead that will shape their postseason paths.

Virginia Tech fans hope this sparks a run. The Hokies have shown they can beat ranked teams at home. Now they proved it on the road. Clemson must regroup quickly against Duke. The conference keeps delivering close games and surprises as March nears.