Funny things seem to happen when Virginia Tech plays the No. 3 team in November — no matter how or when a game is scheduled.
For the second November in a row, the Hokies took down the nation's No. 3 team, this time in a 81-73 overtime win against third-ranked Villanova on Saturday night. The matchup wasn't even set until very early in the Friday morning hours. The Wildcats were going to play Temple on Dec. 3, but the Owls paused activities due to a positive COVID-19 test. So Saturday's Virginia Tech and Villanova matchup was born.
Last season, Virginia Tech upset then-No. 3 Michigan State in the Maui Invitational.
Though Villanova forced overtime on two late Justin Moore free throws, the Hokies (2-0) outscored the Wildcats 17-9 in overtime to pull off the upset. Keve Aluma led the Hokies with 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting, while Nahiem Alleyne scored 20 points off the bench. Virginia Tech also made 10 of 20 3-point attempts and ended plus-8 on rebounds.
Saturday's game marked the programs' first meeting since 2003, when they were both members of the Big East.
Virginia Tech's win is the second in as many days for an unranked team against a top-5 foe. On Friday, San Francisco beat No. 4 Virginia, 61-60.
