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By Duncan Irvine
Staff Writer
February 19, 2023
Elizabeth Kitley scored a game-high 24 points in the Hokies' 75-62 win over N.C. State. (Virginia Tech Athletics)
BLACKSBURG - One of the most accomplished senior classes in Virginia Tech women’s basketball history was recognized Sunday afternoon before its tilt against N.C. State (18-9, 8-8 ACC), which the Hokies (22-4, 12-4) won, 75-62.
Among the seniors recognized were D’asia Gregg and Liz Kitley — two players critical to the Hokies’ victory. Gregg averages 4.9 points on the season, but you wouldn’t know it based on Sunday’s game. She shot the leather off the ball, going 3-4 from deep (her only miss was a heave to beat the shot clock) and 5-6 overall, tallying three assists and nine rebounds.
Kitley, the 2022 ACC Player of the Year, was great as always, absolutely dominating the game with ridiculous efficiency.
Almost 6,500 people turned out to Cassell Coliseum to watch the game. The raucous crowd was a large factor in the end result, and it was apparent to everyone involved.
“I have never experienced a crowd that large cheering for you,” Hokies’ head coach Kenny Brooks said. “Some venues in our conference can get more people in their place, but I have never experienced them as loud, as knowledgeable, as engaged as that crowd was tonight.”
The teams traded blows early, with neither being able to build a substantial lead. Backed by a rowdy crowd, Georgia Amoore set the high-energy tone early, accumulating five points, four assists and a rebound in the first quarter.
N.C. State didn’t let the Hokies' momentum carry too much, and the Wolfpack seemed to find a response whenever it looked like the scales might be tipping away from its favor. State found rebounds and made shots when it needed to and played relatively clean basketball to take a 19-18 lead into the second quarter. Camille Hobby and Aziaha James led the Wolfpack with eight points each in the opening frame.
The game slowed down a bit in the early second quarter as the teams settled in. This all changed following a Georgia Amoore pull-up jumper from the free throw line to put the Hokies back in front, 27-25.
Coach Wes Moore called a timeout with 6:42 to go hoping to quell the Hokies’ run, but it didn’t quite go as planned. The Hokies came out firing following the stoppage and extended their two-point lead to eleven at the end of the quarter. Repeated defensive stops and some excellent paint play from Kitley helped the Hokies pull away going into the half.
Kitley and Aziaha James both had 15 points at the half, leading all scorers. Kitley, second in the ACC in blocks, had three in the first 20 minutes. Neither the Hokies nor Wolfpack lit it up from distance, going 4-12 and 3-8 respectively, but the Hokies made up for it by shooting 16-20 from inside the arc.
Moore noted that the explosion of offense in the second quarter was the difference in the end.
“They got a great team,” Moore said. “Everybody out there can score and we gave up 29 points in the second quarter. We were in trouble. We only gave up 28 in the second half. If it hadn’t been for that second quarter, who knows?”
D’asia Gregg was 4-4 with two threes in the first half, scoring 10 total. She had four rebounds and three assists to boot, putting up a career-high day in the first half alone. Nevertheless, filling the stat sheet was far from her top goal.
“My main focus was to go out and win, that’s all it was,” Gregg said. “I really was trying to do everything I could to help the team win. That’s rebounding, passing the ball, shooting it. I was just trying to be the best version of myself today.”
The Hokies picked up right where they left off at the start of the second half. Kitley, who had just four rebounds in the first half, picked up a quick three boards less than halfway into the third quarter. The Virginia Tech defense was stifling, holding the Wolfpack to just a 1-9 shooting start to the half. Amoore secured yet another double-double, notching her tenth assist on an inside pass to Kitley with 5:28 to play in the third.
N.C. State called a timeout with 3:16 to play, trailing 59-41. The Wolfpack couldn’t seem to make a shot and the Hokies couldn’t seem to miss. The third quarter as a whole was a bit less action-packed, with just 24 total points being scored — fewer than Virginia Tech’s entire second-quarter output. Virginia Tech led to end the third quarter, 60-47.
For a scary split-second, Amoore fell to the court following an apparent elbow to the head, but she bounced back up to the relief of everyone in the arena. After taking a look, the officials assessed an intentional technical foul, sending Amoore to the line where she sank both shots.
With 3:22 to go, Gregg knocked her third three of the night, giving her a season-high 13 points.
The Hokies closed things out, never allowing the Wolfpack to make a run in the second half.
Kitley finished her last game at Cassell Coliseum with a monster performance. She tallied 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks on 11-of-16 shooting.
Taylor Soule poured in 12 points and Amoore finished with 15 points and 11 assists.
James led the Wolfpack with 20 points, three rebounds and two assists. Mimi Collins and River Baldwin added 12 points and nine respectively off the bench.
The Wolfpack fall to 18-9 on the year and 8-8 in conference play. N.C. State takes on No. 9 Duke on Thursday night.
With the win, Virginia Tech moves to 22-4 on the season and 12-4 in conference play. The Hokies have two games left on the season, both on the road. VT will next face No. 19 North Carolina on Thursday, Feb. 23.
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