Virginia Tech snapped a three-game losing streak with a 79-69 win over Penn State Sunday in Blacksburg, Va.

The Hokies led 44-33 at half, fought off an early second-half run by the Nittany Lions (7-3, 0-0 Big Ten) and maintained a double-digit lead down the stretch.

Malcolm Delaney led four Hokies in double digits with 18. Delany, a preseason ACC Player of the Year candidate, also handed out eight assists, helping Virginia Tech shoot 54.5 percent from the field.

Talor Battle, Penn State' leading scorer, had a game-high 24, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 16-point disadvantage in points in the paint.

Virginia Tech (5-4,0-1 ACC) is expected to be among the challengers to No. 1 Duke in the ACC this season, but has gotten off to a disappointing start. The Hokies have played a difficult schedule, though, with six of their nine games coming against teams from major conferences. They head to the Bahamas Saturday for the the Battle of Atlantis tournament, where they'll face Mississippi State in the first round.

In contrast, Penn State has built its 7-3 mark on a soft schedule. The Hokies were only the Nittany Lions' third opponent from a major conference.