Three Takeaways from Virginia Tech Men's Basketball's Loss to SMU

A neck-and-neck battle ended with a half-court buzzer-beater from SMU, recording a 77-76 loss for the Hokies.

Virginia Tech Athletics

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball squad traveled south to Dallas, Texas to take on the SMU Mustangs. After a neck-and-neck battle, an electric half-court buzzer beater from SMU’s Boopie Miller secured a 77-76 win for the Mustangs Wednesday night.

SMU wins 77-76

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 15, 2026

The Hokies held a four-point lead with 29 seconds left to go against the Mustangs, who ranked 11th in the conference with only one ACC win. Furthermore, the Hokies’ scoring average leader and stand-out transfer Amani Hansberry was good to hit the court after appearing on the ACC player availability report on Tuesday night. However, it ultimately came down to the wire, and the Mustangs’ perseverance paid off in the end. 

SMU’s upset win over the Hokies bumped them in the conference standings as the Mustangs now sit at No. 8 in the ACC while the Hokies have slid to No. 10 in the rankings. While Wednesday’s performance was a disappointing end, there were some key positives in their performance. Here are my three takeaways from the Hokies’ performance against SMU.

 

1. Live and Die by the Three

The Hokies knocked down 32% of their shots from beyond the arc, significantly out-performing their opponents who went 3-for-15 from the three. Guard Jaden Schutt led the way drilling 4-6. However, what truly stands out is Virginia Tech holding the Mustangs to one of their lowest performances from the three this season. However, despite hitting just three shots from the three-point line, the Mustangs drilled the most important three of the night: the half-court buzzer beater from Miller.

2. Watch the Fouls

SMU went 69 percent from the free-throw line, with Miller knocking down 11 of his 16 shots from the line. The Mustangs play an aggressive game and often do the most damage from the charity stripe, with a season average of 77%. Corey Washington and Miller combined for 16 made free throws. Both Hansberry and Antonio Dom picked up four personal fouls, just narrowly avoiding fouling out. Getting the calls is key to the Mustangs game and they did a lot of damage against the Hokies from the free throw line.

3. Jailen Bedford Kept the Hokies in the Fight

UNLV transfer Jailen Bedford recorded one of his strongest performances of the season. Bedford led the Hokies with nine field goals, and sat just behind Schutt for the team lead in made three-pointers, with three treys. The Austin, TX native’s 52.9% clip from the field was his best-performance in the field since November, when Bedford shot 77.8 percent against Colorado State. Bedford’s strong performance against the Mustangs could indicate a return to the standout hooping the Hokie faithful witnessed at the beginning of the season. Virginia Tech could certainly use a tip-top Bedford as they continue on in ACC play with a match against ACC powerhouse Duke looming. The Hokies are set to compete against the Blue Devils on Jan. 31 with a 12 p.m. ET tip-off.

After falling to 10th in the conference, the Hokies are looking to get back on track with a win over the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame and Virginia Tech are set to face off on Saturday, Jan. 17, with a 12 p.m. ET tip-off.