After pulling off back-to-back wins for the first time this season, Notre Dame laid an egg against No. 20 Virginia Tech. A slightly easier matchup Saturday at Pittsburgh awaits. This could be an opportunity for the Irish (5-9, 2-6) to pounce on a struggling team as the Panthers (8-4, 4-3) have lost back-to-back games after getting off to a nice start. The Irish need a victory becoming only the second or third ACC team with 10 losses this season, and that depends on how Miami does against Wake Forest earlier in the day.
There were two saving graces for the Irish in their loss to the Hokies. They set a season high with seven blocks, so that’s something to build on. Meanwhile, with little offensive support, Prentiss Hubb did his best to keep the score respectable by accumulating 17 of his 22 points in the first half. That’s the third time he’s reached the 20-point mark this season and first since his career high of 26 during the Irish’s Dec. 8 loss to Ohio State.