WOMENS BASKETBALL
Virginia Tech 72, North Carolina State 61
AARON BEARD
ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH, N.C. - Elizabeth Kitley had 25 points and 13 rebounds while No. 16 Virginia Tech hit 11 3-pointers to beat third-ranked North Carolina State 72-61, earning a season sweep of the Wolfpack.
Georgia Amoore had 12 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the reigning league champion Hokies (19-4, 10-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who earned a fourth straight win against N.C. State (20-3, 8-3) and only the program’s second road win against the Wolfpack in 14 tries.
The Hokies won the first meeting on Kitley’s last-second layup after the then-unbeaten Wolfpack blew a 13-point lead. This time, Virginia Tech pushed ahead for good midway through the second quarter then completely controlled the third to build a double-digit lead in front of a rowdy red-clad crowd growing more frustrated by the second.
The Hokies nearly doubled the Wolfpack in third-quarter scoring (20-11), hitting more 3-pointers (five) than N.C. State had total baskets (four). That ended with Kitley passing out of a double team and Carleigh Wenzel whipping the ball from the top to Amoore for a clean wing 3 and a 57-44 lead just before the horn.
Madison Hayes scored 20 points and Azaiah James added 17 for the Wolfpack, who shot just 35.6% and made 6 of 18 from 3-point range.
Neither team shot the ball well, but the Hokies outrebounded the Wolfpack 48-31 and had 15 offensive rebounds while the Wolfpack had just four assists on 21 baskets.
BIG PICTURE
Virginia Tech: This was a huge win in the ACC regular-season race, keeping the Hokies slightly ahead of No. 15 Louisville (9-2) with five teams holding at least eight league wins entering Thursday. Virginia Tech still has road games against the Cardinals and No. 12 Notre Dame ahead.
N.C. State: N.C. State was closing a stretch of three straight home games against ranked opponents. The Wolfpack won the first two against then-ranked rival North Carolina and on Monday against Louisville. This was a thud of an ending to that strong stretch.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Virginia Tech athletics press release
February 8, 2024
