RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — No. 16 Virginia Tech didn’t need any last-minute drama to defeat No. 3 North Carolina State again.
Elizabeth Kitley had 25 points and 13 rebounds and the Hokies made 11 3-pointers to defeat the Wolfpack 72-61 on Thursday night, earning a season sweep in a matchup of Atlantic Coast Conference contenders. obtained.
“We’re always trying to be better, better, better,” Hokies coach Kenny Brooks said. “So we’re going to be critical of ourselves and we know we can do certain things. But throughout the game, from start to finish, their attitude was really good. thought.”
Georgia Amoore had 12 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds against the reigning league champion Hokies (19-4, 10-2 ACC) and against North Carolina State (20-3, 8-3 ACC). ), resulting in four consecutive wins and the program’s only victory. Second win in 14 tries against the Wolfpack on the road.
hokies Kitley’s last-second layup won the first meeting. after the then-undefeated Wolfpack took a 13-point lead. This time, Virginia Tech took a comfortable lead midway through the second quarter, took complete control of the third quarter, built a double-digit lead, and held on to a raucous redshirt crowd that grew increasingly frustrated in the second quarter. I stared.
The Hokies scored nearly twice as many points in the third quarter (20-11) as the Wolfpack, made more 3-pointers (5) than NC State’s total baskets (4), and forced zone looks. He used his full power to stop the Wolfpack’s momentum.
“I’ll admit, we’re not the best one-on-one defenders, but we’re going to help each other and push people into spots,” Amoore said, adding: We didn’t steal anything or panic people, but I think we did a pretty good job. ”
The quarter ended with Kitley passing out from a double team and Carly Wenzel whipping the ball from the top to Amoore for a clean wing 3 to take a 57-44 lead just before the horn for a sixth straight win. .
Madison Hayes scored 20 points for the Wolfpack, but shot just 35.6 percent from the field and made 6 of 18 from 3-point range. Among them was Asiaha James, who was scoreless after scoring 17 points in the first half, and the Wolfpack was held to just four assists.
“They came here and were confident and tough,” Wolfpack coach Wes Moore said. “They were coming up with rebounds and loose balls and flying around.”
big picture
Virginia Tech: This is a big win in the ACC regular season race, with five teams holding eight or more league wins as of last Hokies, with the Hokies narrowly trailing No. 15 Louisville (9-2). exceeded. Virginia Tech still has road games remaining against the Cardinals (Feb. 18) and No. 12 Notre Dame (Feb. 29).
North Carolina State University: The Wolfpack defeated then-No. 1-ranked rival the University of North Carolina on Monday, followed by a win over the University of Louisville to start a three-game series against top-ranked opponents that came to an unexpected end.
clear edge
The Hokies dominated up front with the 6-foot-6 Kitley, a two-time ACC Player of the Year.
North Carolina State starters River Baldwin and Mimi Collins had six points and eight rebounds on 1-of-11 shooting, along with 5-foot-6 Amoor and 6-5 freshman center Clara Collins. Comparable to Struck.
The Hokies outscored the Wolfpack 48-31, including 5-for-15 on the offensive glass.
next
Virginia Tech: The Hokies host Boston College on Sunday.
North Carolina: Pittsburgh hosts the Wolfpack on Sunday.
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