When the No. 16 Virginia Tech Hokies meet the No. 23 Purdue Boilermakers in the championship game of the Charleston Classic on Sunday night, the teams know where the game will likely to be decided.
Virginia Tech and Purdue are riding their defenses into the tournament finale.
The teams have played Ball State this season and each defeated the Cardinals by nine points -- the closest either has come to losing this season. The Hokies and Boilermakers won emphatically in the Charleston semifinals Friday, and their defenses were the catalysts along with plenty of rebounding support.