Embedded Files
Giovanni Heater
Staff Writer
March 22, 2024
Virginia Tech's Clara Strack was a major catalyst in the Hokies' victory. (Virginia Tech Athletics)
BLACKSBURG – A week full of patience, anticipation and question marks left Virginia Tech fans wondering what Hokies basketball would look like in the absence of All-American center and three-time ACC Player of the Year, Elizabeth Kitley.
Inevitably, it was made official on Thursday afternoon that Kitley would miss the NCAA Tournament — a catastrophic conclusion to the career of one of Virginia Tech’s most accomplished athletes.
On Friday afternoon, that question was answered, accompanied by a possible glimpse at Tech’s future as the No. 4 seed Hokies cruised past No. 12 seed Marshall 92-49 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
With Kitley out, true freshman center Clara Strack was jolted into the first start of her collegiate career. She flourished, tallying 17 points and five rebounds on a flawless 7-of-7 shooting. Her 28 minutes matched the most time she’s spent on the floor, set last week against Miami in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
Waiting in the wings, the highly touted freshman seemed more than ready for the moment.
“[Liz] has taught me an insane amount this year,” Strack said. “I knew that if I played my game, I would be fine. I knew that if I took the things that I’ve learned from watching her, talking to her, and playing with her, then we’d be good.”
The moment it was deemed Clara’s night was when she knocked down a three-pointer from the left wing late in the second quarter — just her second three-ball of the season.
Just as impressive as her offensive production was Strack’s defensive presence in the paint. The 6-foot-5 center tallied four blocked shots and a steal. It’s been known all season that when Strack blocks a shot, it exits the field of play rather quickly. A first round matchup with Marshall was no exception.
The Buffalo, N.Y., native embodies the blue-collar mentality that is represented in both southwest Virginia and western New York with her work ethic and desire to perfect the craft.
“We've worked really hard these past two weeks,” Strack said. “We’ve really not taken many days off and we’ve pushed in practice. To come out here and show what we did, it just felt amazing to work that hard and see it pay off like that.”
Strack wasn’t the only one playing in her first NCAA Tournament game. In fact, it was an unfamiliar stage for many of Tech’s newcomers.
Carleigh Wenzel (redshirt freshman), Carys Baker (freshman), Samyha Suffren (freshman), Strack (freshman), Rose Micheaux (transfer from Minnesota) and Matilda Ekh (transfer from Michigan State) all played in their first NCAA Tournament game.
While every Hokie contributed, it was Ekh who had the biggest impact. She led all scorers with 21 points and three rebounds, while shooting 6-of-9 from the floor, good for 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Ekh was also a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Ekh eclipsed 1,000 career points on her first field goal of the game. The Michigan State transfer averages 11.1 points per game in her three-year career.
“She had a day today,” All-American point guard Georgia Amoore boasted. “That confidence is important for her because she’s the type of girl that needs to see it go in. I’m glad it went into today.”
The surge of offense from the Swede was welcomed with open arms after Ekh’s scoreless efforts in Tech’s last three games.
Ekh was a combined 0-for-13 in Tech’s last three outings, resulting in the Hokies losing two of their last three games heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Including Friday's win over Marshall, Virginia Tech is 18-2 when Ekh knocks down two or more three pointers and 10-2 when she’s 50 percent or better from beyond the arc.
The two exceptions are the February loss to Notre Dame in South Bend, where she scored 12 points, shooting 2-of-4 from three and January’s loss at Florida State where she shot 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in a shootout.
Furthermore, the Hokies are 3-3 when she doesn’t hit a three. They’ve only lost seven games this season. She is a combined 8-23 from three in games where Tech doesn’t come out on top.
Simply put, Ekh is the X-factor for this team. When she’s on, the pieces tend to fall into place. When she’s off, the team doesn’t have the same flow offensively.
“When she plays like that, we’re a really good basketball team,” Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said. “She called me after the ACC Tournament and she was down and out because she felt like she didn't help us. And really, she didn’t. She came to my office and we said nothing of substance.
“It was just more that we were in each other's presence. I think she understood that I believed in her and she believed in me and what we were going to do. Ever since then she's had a different mentality.”
In a game where veterans Amoore and Cayla King played just 20 and 22 minutes, respectively, due to foul trouble, Tech fans got a small sample of how bright the future could be in Blacksburg.
With the void left by the absence of Kitley, Tech will need more impressive contributions from both Ekh and Strack down the stretch if the Hokies want to make yet another magical run this March.
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