Slow Start Dooms Hokies' Comeback Effort versus Wolfpack
Leo Peschio
February 7, 2020
Virginia Tech's Dara Mabrey drives against NC State's Kai Crutchfield in the Wolfpack's win over the Hokies on Thursday night. Photo Credit: Liam Sment
BLACKSBURG, VA. – Virginia Tech’s three game win streak was snapped Thursday evening as the Hokies fell to No. 7 NC State 71-59 in Blacksburg.
“They disrupted our rhythm,” Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said. “You have to be able to go out and execute in other ways and we just didn’t do that… I thought they outplayed us… They did a good job taking us out of the things we were accustomed to doing.”
Although the Hokies (16-6, 6-5) were limited to just a 20 percent shooting percentage in the first half, they hung around thanks to a team high 19 points from Taja Cole
Tech trailed by as much as 14 but crawled back in the second half after a 17-5 run in the third quarter cut the Wolfpack lead to 40-39.
“It was pure effort. It wasn’t about execution,” Brooks added. “We just efforted our way back into the game.”
NC State was able to pull away in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 points including 17 free throws to put the game out of reach. The Wolfpack took 22 of their 28 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter.
Virginia Tech was able to contain Elissa Cunane for most of the game, but State’s most prolific scorer still found her way to the cup for a team high 17 points .
While State came into this game as the best three-point shooting team in the ACC, Tech was able to hold the ‘Pack to just 4-15 shooting from beyond the arc. Tech could not contain the Wolfpack in the paint, though, as State outscored VT 32-20 down low.
“We know we didn’t play well,” Brooks said. “We’re going to learn from it and we have to put it behind us very quickly.”
The Hokies will now travel to Chapel Hill for a rematch with North Carolina. In their first meeting in Blacksburg, Tech won 76-70 behind 16 points each from Aisha Sheppard and Trinity Baptiste.
As for NC State, they host No. 5 Louisville on Thursday, February 13 in a battle for first in the ACC standings. When the two teams met a year ago, the Cardinals picked up a 30-point victory over the Wolfpack.