Va Tech Girls Headed to 1st Last 4 After Topping Ohio St

March 27, 2023 admin

SEATTLE (AP) — Elizabeth Kitley scored 25 factors and grabbed 12 rebounds, Georgia Amoore added 24 factors and top-seeded Virginia Tech superior to the Last 4 for the primary time in class historical past with an 84-74 win over No. 3 seed Ohio State within the Seattle 3 Regional last on Monday night time.

For the seventh time previously 10 Last Fours there will be a first-time participant and it’s the champions of the ACC, including one other accomplishment to the very best season in class historical past.

Taking part in in its first regional last, Virginia Tech (31-4) gained its fifteenth straight sport and can head to the Last 4 having not misplaced in additional than two months. The Hokies will face LSU within the nationwide semifinals on Friday in Dallas.

Kitley, the Hokies 6-foot-6 heart and main scorer this season, took over on the inside within the second half. She scored the primary seven factors of the fourth quarter and her three-point play gave Virginia Tech a 70-60 lead.

Amoore hit her fourth 3-pointer of the sport to push the result in 13. Ohio State pulled inside six within the last minute, however the Hokies had been practically excellent on the foul line down the stretch.

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After the ultimate buzzer sounded and Virginia Tech was celebrating at midcourt, the sounds of “Enter Sandman” by Metallica blared by way of the audio system of Local weather Pledge Enviornment, setting off a good louder social gathering for the Hokies followers in attendance.

Amoore shook off the scare of a possible leg harm within the first half to scored 16 factors within the second half. She had a career-high 29 within the regional semifinal win over Tennessee. Cayla King added 12 factors, all within the first half for the Hokies.

Taylor Mikesell led Ohio State (28-8) with 25 factors, however 19 of these got here within the first half. Mikesell didn’t rating the primary 16 minutes of the second half earlier than hitting a 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining.

Jacy Sheldon scored 19 and Huge Ten freshman of the yr Cotie McMahon added 18. However the strain protection that Ohio State used to befuddle UConn into 25 turnovers within the regional semifinal was simply dealt with by Amoore and the Hokies within the opening minutes and largely deserted by the Buckeyes.

Ohio State was seeking to be a part of its Huge Ten Convention companion Iowa in reaching the Last 4 for the primary time in 30 years. The Buckeyes confirmed no hangover from its upset of UConn within the regional semifinal, staying with Virginia Tech shot-for-shot by way of a extremely entertaining and excessive scoring first half.

However the photographs that dropped within the first 20 minutes stopped falling within the second half. Ohio State shot 64% within the first half, together with 5 3-pointer from Mikesell, however that dropped to simply 28% within the second half.

Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks is the third Black male coach to take a staff to the ladies’s Last 4 and second for the reason that subject expanded to 64 groups in 1994. Winthrop McGriff with Cheyney State in 1984 and Quentin Hillsman with Syracuse in 2016 had been the others. Brooks is in his seventh season in Blacksburg.

“I do know that once I was making an attempt to make a reputation for myself, there wasn’t very many individuals that had been doing it or advocating for those that appeared like me. On this career, I believe that we belong. I believe that there’s a spot for Black males to return in and be a optimistic affect,” Brooks mentioned earlier than the Candy 16.

AP March Insanity protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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