Wake Forest Edges out Virginia Tech 67-64

Jay Winters

January 18, 2021

Blacksburg, Va. - “Energy and effort is worth eight points a game.”

One of Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks’ mottos and a slogan posted in the basketball office, Brooks and sophomore guard Makayla Ennis echoed this while reflecting after the Hokies’ 67-64 loss to Wake Forest.

It was a game that felt all too familiar: A lead blown. Unforced errors. Missed opportunities in the final minutes.

“Obviously, we’re very disappointed,” Brooks said. “Throughout the whole game, our energy, effort and execution aspect of it. Right now, we’re not good enough. We’re not good enough to finish games like this. We build leads, we don’t finish and we don’t play the way we’re supposed to play.”

It was a tale of two halves for the Hokies as Tech picked up right where it left off after it’s win over UNC, pushing the lead to as many as ten points in the first half.

The Hokies recorded nine blocks in the first half, which is just five shy of Tech’s all-time mark of 14, and one behind Tech’s record for blocks in an ACC game, but failed to record another in the second half.

The Hokies went into the second half with a seven-point lead, and jumped out to another 10-point lead before things took a turn for the worst.

Wake went on a 16-3 run, bolstered by a technical foul that gave Wake Forest four free throw attempts, gave Asiah Jones four fouls and gave Wake all the momentum that ultimately brought the Deacons back into the game.

It was a back and forth final quarter as Wake jumped out to a five-point lead before Ennis brought the Hokies back by herself on her way to a career-high 12 points.

“It felt really good,” Ennis said. “I felt a lot of trust from Coach Brooks today, and if anything, it was an indication that I can do what he knows I can do. I feel good, I hate losing and it sucks that we lost, but I’m happy that Coach sees me as that player.”

Elizabeth Kitley knocked down a jumper to tie the Hokies with the Deacons with just under 4:30 to play, but it was too little, too late before the Hokies scored again, as the next bucket came with 1.9 seconds left on the clock to cut the Demon Deacon lead to two.

The Hokies had opportunities down the stretch as it was only a two-point lead for Wake for the majority of the late stages of the fourth quarter, and Tech gave Kitley decent opportunities to score.

“It was frustrating in the moment, but honestly the shots felt good,” Kitley said. “They were good looks, I just need to make them, and I take full responsibility for that. We’ll keep working on it, and they’ll fall eventually because I know I can make them.”

After cutting the lead to two with just under two seconds left, Tech had to foul twice before sending Wake to the line, and by that time, there was not enough left on the clock for the Hokies to do anything.

The Demon Deacons were led by a collective effort between Gina Conti, Ivana Raca, and Christina Morra who combined for 52 points, while Elizabeth Kitley led the Hokies with 18 points and a record-tying tying 21 rebounds.

The Hokies enter one of the toughest stretches of the season, facing Notre Dame on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Cassell Coliseum. Just a month ago, Tech lost a nailbiter to the Irish 84-78.

After Notre Dame, Tech gets the No. 3 team in the country in NC State twice in four days, with the contest first in Raleigh and the second in Blacksburg.

Virginia Tech now sits at 7-5 overall and 2-5 in the ACC just over halfway through the season.