Pitt snapped a three-game losing streak with a XX-XX upset over the No. 16 Virginia Tech Hokies on Wednesday evening at the Petersen Events Center. The win propels Pitt's record to 9-5 overall with a 5-4 mark in league play. The victory over Virginia Tech also marks the team's first win over a ranked opponent since 2019, when the Panthers knocked off No. 11 Florida State.

Pitt used a critical 13-0 run late in the second half to extend the lead to 70-55 with 4:24 remaining. Xavier Johnson, Ithiel Horton, and Au'Diese Toney all connected on 3-pointers during the pivotal run. The Hokies threatened a couple of times late, but Pitt shot its free throws well. The Panthers finished 22-25 at the free-throw line to help preserve the victory.

Pitt head coach Jeff Capel decided to shake up the starting line prior to the game. Regular starters Xavier Johnson and Ithiel Horton came off the bench, as Femi Odukale and Nike earned starting assignments. Johnson and Horton responded well to the challenge. Johnson poured in a game-high 32 points, which sets his career-high. He also dished out seven assists, and pulled down five rebounds in one of the best performances of his career.

Horton also played well off the bench, the sophomore guard added 15 points, and connected on four 3-pointers on the evening.

Virginia Tech's final lead of the game came at the 11:54 mark of the second half, but Pitt found a way to finish strong, outscoring the Hokies 40-27 down the stretch. Pitt also out-rebounded the Hokies 33-31.

The Panthers played inspired defense after some recent poor performances on that end of the ball. Despite the better effort on Wednesday, Pitt had little to no answer for Virginia Tech forward Keve Aluma. The Hokies forward finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, and constantly kept pressure on the Panthers defense.

Justin Champagnie added 10 points and 13 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season. Chamapgnie was mostly ineffective throughout the evening, as Pitt relied more on the play of the backcourt. The sophomore forward was just 3-8 from the field, as Virginia Tech denied him the ball at every opportunity.

Au'Diese Toney finished with 14 points, and 10 of those came after halftime, as he found more confidence throughout the game. Wednesday's win marks the first victory over the Hokies since the 2016 season, snapping a five-game losing streak to Virginia Tech.

Pitt will return to action for a nationally televised game against No. 14 Virginia down in Charlottesville on Saturday. The game was only added to the schedule earlier this afternoon. It is set to tip-off at 4:00 p.m. and will be on ESPN.