Hokies Stun Duke to Win ACC Final

BROOKLYN, NY –  The Virginia Tech Hokies (23-12, 11-9 ACC) defeated the number one seed Duke Blue Devils (28-6, 16-4 ACC), 82-67, en route to its first ACC Championship in program history. The victory punched the Hokies’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament. 

“This win is very significant for the program,” said head coach Mike Young. 

The story of Championship week was the Hokies winning four games in four nights, beating UNC (24-9, 15-5 ACC) and Duke in the process. 

The Blue Devils and Hokies were off to a hot start tonight. Both teams were shooting 12-13 after the first four minutes of the first half. Virginia Tech shot 70% from deep, making 7-10 3-pointers.

The Blue Devils were able to hang on with its free-throw shooting, shooting 87.5% in the first half. 

The Hokies finished the game shooting 50% from the floor, and a career game from junior guard Hunter Cattoor fueled their victory. 

Cattoor showed up in the biggest game of his life. The talented shooter had 11 points midway through the first half, making his first 3 triples. Cattoor finished the game shooting 7-9 from long range, 11-16 from the floor. He scored a game-high 31 points. 

“I dreamed of moments like this, and it happens, so I’m grateful,” said Cattoor. “It means a lot to be the first team to win the ACC Finals.” 

His teammate, senior forward Keve Aluma, scored 19 points and a game-high 7 assists. 

The Blue Devils struggled tonight from the floor, missing a lot of shots in the process. 

“Yeah, I thought our offense was good. We just didn’t hit shots,” said head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “When you don’t hit shots, you don’t look like you’re running a good offense.”

Freshman forward Paolo Banchero had a team-high 20 points. He continued his efficiency from the semifinals, shooting 8-11 from the floor.

Junior forward Wendell Moore Jr. had a versatile game, scoring 11 points, snagging 4 rebounds, and blocking 2 shots. His efforts weren’t enough to help Banchero make a push in the second half. 

Sophomore guard Jeremy Roach was sat down late in the first half after recording 3 fouls. He finished the game with 9 points. 

Freshman forward AJ Griffin, the star of the semifinals, had a bad shooting night. Griffin shot 1-8 from long range and 4-12 from the field. 

Duke will still have a spot in the NCAA Tournament despite the loss.

Selection Sunday, for the 2022 NCAA Tournament will be held Sunday, March 13th, at 6:00 pm EST. 

Feature Image: Lawrence Davis III