Halftime Report
Saint Joseph's has overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Saint Joseph's leads 32-30 over Va. Tech.
If Saint Joseph's keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 8-4 in no time. On the other hand, Va. Tech will have to make due with a 5-7 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who's Playing
Va. Tech Hokies @ Saint Joseph's Hawks
Current Records: Va. Tech 5-6, Saint Joseph's 7-4
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 12 p.m. ET
- Where: Palestra -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Watch on Connected TV: CBS Sports App on Roku and Fire TV
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $40.40
What to Know
The Saint Joseph's Hawks will take on the Va. Tech Hokies in a holiday battle at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at at Palestra. The Hawks are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 75.9 points per game this season.
Saint Joseph's will head into Wednesday's match on the come-up: they were handed a three-point defeat in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against American on Wednesday. Saint Joseph's took their game with ease, bagging an 84-57 win over American. The over/under was set at 141 points, so nice work oddsmakers; you were right on the money.
Saint Joseph's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Rasheer Fleming, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 11 rebounds. Fleming has become a key player for Saint Joseph's: the team is 6-2 when he posts at least ten rebounds, but 1-2 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Erik Reynolds II, who went 8 for 13 en route to 23 points plus six assists.
Meanwhile, Va. Tech earned an 80-72 win over Navy on Sunday.
Va. Tech's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ben Burnham led the charge by going 7 for 9 en route to 17 points. Another player making a difference was Ben Hammond, who earned 11 points along with two steals.
Saint Joseph's victory bumped their record up to 7-4. As for Va. Tech, their win bumped their record up to 5-6.
Saint Joseph's is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss.
Saint Joseph's strolled past Va. Tech when the teams last played back in December of 2015 by a score of 79-62. Will Saint Joseph's repeat their success, or does Va. Tech have a better game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Odds
Va. Tech is a 4.5-point favorite against Saint Joseph's, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Hokies as a 5.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 143 points.
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Series History
Saint Joseph's won the only game these two teams have played in the last 9 years.
- Dec 22, 2015 - Saint Joseph's 79 vs. Va. Tech 62