Virginia Tech Dominates Pitt 74-55

Jay Winters

February 5, 2021

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — 74-55, Virginia Tech over Pitt.

For the first time since the Hokies contest in December against Pitt, a 88-71 showdown to open up the ACC season, Virginia Tech won a game that didn’t elevate the blood pressure of every Hokie fan watching.

“Even though you’re up double digits, you’re always still coaching through the end,” Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said. “A double-digit win on the road against a very scrappy team is always good, but I thought we played well tonight and very proud of the kids.”

Kids should be emphasized, because this was arguably the most complete and “team” win the Hokies have had outside of N.C State.

Elizabeth Kitley did her thing, finishing with 20 points and eight rebounds, but it was the combination of Cayla King, D’asia Gregg and Azana Baines that guided the Hokies to a win.

After storming out to a quick five points, senior guard Aisha Sheppard picked up two quick fouls, which forced her to sit out the remainder of the half.

Unfazed by the early setback, King, Gregg and Baines all stepped up and helped outscore the Panthers 28-10 in the first quarter, including an 17-4 run that helped end the half up 36-25.

What Brooks called the “two-headed monster” of Gregg and Baines finished with a sneaky nine and seven points, respectively, combining to pull down 16 rebounds while King scored all nine of her points in the first quarter.

“They were tremendous, and it allowed me to keep Shep on the bench,” Brooks said. “As long as we were holding a lead, I felt good keeping her out, and those kids were the reason.”

Even with limited minutes, Sheppard still finished with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting, one of her most efficient games of the year.

The second half continued to be all Hokies, and freshman Georgia Amoore joined in on the fun finishing with 13 points and a deadly six-to-one in the assist-turnover mark.

More importantly, Tech’s backcourt rotation locked down Pitt’s leading scorer, Jayla Everett, to only seven points, and forced seven turnovers out of sophomore guard Dayshanette Harris.

The seven turnovers accounted for almost half of the Panthers' turnovers, as the Pitt total reached 17 by the end of the game.

“I’ve changed a lot of my focus to defense,” Amoore said. “At the start of the season, I considered myself a liability, and all it really was was in the effort, so all around I’m still growing and trying to get more consistent.”

Pittsburgh never got closer than eight, and the Hokies closed out a game as close to stress free as you can get.

“These kids are starting to come together,” Brooks said. “They’re understanding their roles, they trust each other more, and it's just a matter of time because we're a very good team that just hasn’t had the success that we deserve.”

Now on a three game win streak with only five games remaining, Tech has Miami in Coral Gables next Thursday at 6 p.m., which is the second of a three-game away stretch.

Sitting at 10-7 and 5-7 in the ACC, the Hokies’ next five games will determine whether or not they will have a chance to dance in March and April.