No. 8 Virginia Tech outlasts North Carolina on Senior day

Nathan Andrews

Staff Writer

February 26, 2024

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech was bustling on Sunday afternoon because for the first time in history, College Gameday made its way to Cassell Coliseum to kick off an ACC women’s basketball game.  

Elle Duncan and the crew picked a great day to make the trek. Senior night was upon Tech following a polished season that hadn’t included a single loss at Cassell, extending its streak to 25-straight in Sunday’s 74-62 win over North Carolina.

With Elizabeth Kitley, Georgia Amoore, Cayla King and Olivia Summiel being honored for their collegiate careers, a UNC team that took them to overtime in Chapel Hill awaited a chance to spoil the heartfelt farewell ceremonies.

With everything on the line, the Hokies (23-4, 14-2 ACC) jumped all over the Tar Heels (18-10, 10-6) during the first quarter. UNC started off the scoring, but Tech jumped out on an 11-0 run shortly after. Matilda Ekh capped off a 21-5 head start to the game with two 3-pointers, one just before the first quarter buzzer. 

“She’s [Ekh] worked into what we need from her,” Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said. “She’s deadly from the three. She’s gotten to the point where, now, her defense is really good in our system. We came to the realization the other day that she’s listed as 6-foot but she’s really 6-foot-2. And that length that she has helps us rebound the basketball. It makes us tougher.”

However, the lopsidedness of the first quarter resided extremely quickly. North Carolina took the reins for the rest of the first half, outscoring Tech 22-12 during the second frame. 

The star from the visitor’s side was easily Deja Kelly. She dropped 29 points during the contest, shooting 10-for-22 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. She was a force that the Hokies couldn’t quite figure out, despite the victory. 

“I’m not really worried about the points,” Kelly said. “It took me a couple minutes just to settle into the game. “I saw my openings. When they collapsed, my team was better in the second quarter.”

On top of the impressive stat line, she heaved a shot from the logo to beat the buzzer going into halftime. With the miraculous shot, the Tar Heels were within six points of the Hokies after getting dominated during the quarter before, 33-27. 

“I didn’t even tell you, nice shot,” Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart joked with Kelly. “Believe me I’m the first to tell you I’m not good at math, but I think the first quarter cost us the game. During the first quarter, these guys were excited and weren’t able to harness that [success].”

The Hokies didn’t allow the Tar Heels to complete their comeback, however. Georgia Amoore, who finished with 19 points and 11 assists, led the charge in pulling away from UNC in the third quarter. She scored 14 of her 18 points in that quarter, landing two of her three triples on the day. 

Amoore put the cherry on top of senior night and College Gameday, setting the all-time assist record at Virginia Tech, landing number 636 on a dime to Kitley. She surpassed Lisa Witherspoon’s record accomplishing the feat.

“It means I’m doing my job and they’re hitting shots, and I love it,” Amoore said. 

Amoore wasn’t the only Hokie putting up big numbers. Kitley dropped 34 points during the contest, in which she lived and breathed at the free throw line. She went to the line 14 times, converting 12 of those free throws. Amoore carried her squad in the second quarter, scoring every single bucket of the 12 points the Hokies scored. 

Kitley’s mindset and play style has changed over the years to give her a competitive edge. When she first got to Virginia Tech, she wasn’t as fierce and skilled as she is now. 

“I’m a completely different player than when I got here,” Kitley said. “I think I’ve just matured a lot. Like, I was 17 years old when I got to Blacksburg, and now I’m going to leave here as a 22-year-old that’s a lot more confident with a lot more abilities.”

Although the scoreboard made it a bit closer, the Hokies were able to establish their biggest lead of the day during the fourth quarter. With around three minutes left, they climbed up by 19 points during their biggest lead, as Amoore and Ekh hit their third triples on the day. 

A late 8-0 run by UNC during the final minutes of the game wasn’t enough, as Tech held on to a sizable lead to triumph in front of its sellout crowd.

“Hokie nation, they represent,” Brooks said. “They were a force. I told ESPN that we affectionately call them a healthy cult because the passion is so strong. The way that they came out, it was just a great showing for our school and a great showing for our program.”

 
With the win, the Hokies clinched the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament and improved their winning streak to 10 games. They close out the regular season with two road games against Notre Dame (21-6, 11-5 ACC) and Virginia (14-13, 6-10).

UNC snaps a three-game winning streak with the loss. The Tar Heels look to bounce back on Thursday, as they head up north to face Boston College. 

“I don’t know who wrote the script, but it was pretty daggone good,” Brooks said. “A sold-out crowd against our archrival; if you sold that to Disney, I don’t know if they’d buy it. It’s too much, but I’m very happy for these kids.”