Virginia Tech @ Boston College preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 5, 2019 ) Boston College 66, Virginia Tech 77

Virginia Tech will try to avoid a letdown following a dramatic victory when it visits Boston College for an ACC matchup Saturday afternoon. The Hokies won for the fourth time in their last five games when freshman guard Tyrece Radford hit a jumper in the final second of double overtime in a 79-77 decision against North Carolina on Wednesday.

"I just was staying on my toes, staying ready in case anything happened," Radford told reporters of the clutch shot. "Luckily, the ball came my way, and I was able to take it off [guard Landers Nolley's] shoulder and go finish with contact. It was a big moment, and you live for more moments like that." It was the only basket of the game for Radford, who lifted Virginia Tech into a tie for fourth place in the ACC. The Eagles were 3-1 at one point in league play, including a win over defending national champion Virginia, but four straight defeats have dropped them into 10th. They led by as many as 14 in the first half at Pittsburgh on Wednesday before dropping a 74-72 decision on a late jumper by the Panthers.

TIME: 2 p.m. ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (14-5, 5-3 ACC): Nolley ranks third in the ACC with 18 points per game and he had 22 against North Carolina, but the freshman is shooting 34.1 percent over his last five games. Freshman guard Jalen Cone is averaging 15.2 points over that same span while making 58.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, boosting his ACC-leading percentage from long range to 55.6. Radford is the team's top rebounder at 6.3 per contest and junior guard Wabissa Bede leads the Hokies and ranks third in the conference with an average of 6.3 assists after handing out eight versus the Tar Heels.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (9-10, 3-5): Freshman guard Jay Heath scored 16 points against Pitt to bump his average to 12.1, second on the team behind senior guard Derryck Thornton (12.8), who had 13 points and a season high-tying seven assists in the loss. Sophomore forward Jairus Hamilton hit all six of his shots en route to 13 points while junior forward Steffon Mitchell - the team's top rebounder at 8.2 per contest - added 12 after missing the previous game with an illness. The Eagles were given a boost in the return of senior forward Nik Popovic, who also scored 12 points after sitting out the previous nine games due to a back injury.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Heath hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range Wednesday after going 5-of-31 from beyond the arc over his previous seven games.

2. Hokies freshman G Nahiem Alleyne is averaging 12.7 points over his last three games following a six-game stretch in which he was held to single digits.

3. Virginia Tech won the last five meetings.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 70, Boston College 66