Virginia Tech redefined their season with a pivotal Quad 1 win at Clemson

After dropping three of their last four games and seeing their NCAA Tournament hopes fading quickly, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team needed a road win at 20th-ranked Clemson in the worst way. It was a Quad 1 opportunity that they couldn't let pass them by. They didn't and picked up their biggest conference win of the season with a gritty effort against a very good Tigers team.

Virginia Tech went toe-to-toe in the first half with Clemson and took a seven-point lead into halftime, 40-33. They led the entire second half and withstood several Tigers runs down the stretch that cut the deficit to five points multiple times to escape with a 10-point victory. The win is a Quad 1 that Mike Young's team needed. Now, they have to avoid a letdown against Florida State on Saturday afternoon when the Seminoles come to Cassell Coliseum.

Jailen Bedford & Ben Hammond power Virginia Tech to pivotal win over Clemson

This year, Virginia Tech has had good play from its guards, but both Jailen Bedford and Ben Hammond took it to another level on Wednesday night. Bedford came up with some big shots for the Hokeis, including a key 3-pointer late in the game to finish with 23 points. He knocked four of his five 3-pointers and was 8-for-14 from the field in the game.

Not to be outdone, Hammond continues to make some big plays at times for the Hokies. He finished with 19 points and four steals. He knocked down three of his six 3-point attempts and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the second half. As a team, Virginia Tech was a perfect 13-for-13, while the Tigers were just 11-for-18.

Virginia Tech shot 52% from the field and behind the arc. He hit 11 3-pointers and held Clemson to just five. Tobi Lawal also finished in double figures with 12 points and nine rebounds, and freshman Neoklis Avdalas had eight points and four assists. Amani Hansberry had seven points and seven rebounds.

This was the first win on the road against a ranked opponent since Young took over at Virginia Tech. It came at the perfect time. The Hokies are now 17-8 and 6-6 in the ACC with Florida State coming to town on Saturday. Clemson fell to 20-5, but maybe the Hokies got them at the right time.

The Tigers were coming off a trip out west with wins over Stanford and California before heading to Duke on Saturday afternoon. This may have been the perfect time for Virginia Tech to make the trip and sneak out with a huge win.