Georgia Amoore’s Triple-Double Leads No. 9 Virginia Tech in Nebraska Rout

Georgia Amoore scanned the floor to begin the second half. Instead of opting to pass to another teammate, the Virginia Tech point guard pulled the trigger, but the shot clanked off the rim. Calmly, Amoore grabbed her own rebound and then found Cayla King wide open on the wing for a 3-pointer.

With King’s make, the No. 9 Hokies – who came into the game with their highest AP Poll ranking since 1999 – extended their lead to 14 coming out of the break. And they continued to pound Nebraska in a fight that never really felt fair from the opening tip.

It was that kind of night for the Aussie, too. Amoore came away with the program’s first triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as she helped Virginia Tech (7-0) close out Nebraska (5-3) in an 85-54 victory at Cassell Coliseum in front of a record-setting student section that was rowdy from the tip. 

“She came out here today and she was phenomenal to get a triple-double,” Tech head coach Kenny Brooks told reporters after the win. “It’s unbelievable. Very, very proud of her and the way that she executed everything that we needed her to do on both ends of the floor.” 

Coming into the season, Nebraska was ranked No. 22 in the AP Poll, but fell out after two losses in mid-November to Creighton and Drake. In an ideal world and with a healthy lineup, Tech would have blown by Nebraska with little trouble. Part of that was up in the air before the game with Kayana Traylor’s absence, who was scratched with a non-COVID related illness, first reported by TSL’s David Cunningham.

But within the first few minutes, it appeared Tech would have little trouble handling Nebraska, even without its first player off the bench. It jumped out to a seven-point lead halfway through the first period and led 35-24 at halftime.

Amoore’s record-breaking night got started from the opening tip when she scored seven of Virginia Tech’s first nine points. How the Hokies point guard knocked down the first three of her shots came in this sequence: she crossed up a Nebraska defender inside to arc before driving for a layup. Then she hit a step-back from mid-range. Finally, Amoore nailed Tech’s first 3-pointer of the night from the top of the key. That was all before the first media timeout where the Hokies led 13-6.

“Coach Brooks just let me play,” Amoore said. “He lets me play free – and he has no restrictions on me.”

Out of the break, though, Cayla King took over as the senior wing knocked down two threes before the quarter ended – on the latter, she drew major contact and was fouled. Brooks has consistently called King his best defensive player, and it showed throughout the quarter. She continually forced Nebraska’s Jaz Shelley into tough shots early in the shot clock, which in turn gave the Hokies more and more offensive possessions. By the time the end of the quarter rolled around, Tech was up 21-8.

“I thought our defense was unbelievable,” Brooks said. “We were locked in, we were focused. We’re very smart.”

Tech’s offense slowed down in the second quarter because of two parts. One was Traylor’s absence; the other was when Ashley Owusu punched the basketball on an attempt to grab a defensive rebound with 48 seconds left in the period. She winced in pain and held her right hand as she was taken back to the locker room by a trainer. Owusu returned to the bench with her fingers in black tape but never left the sideline.

Brooks said postgame that Owusu will see a hand specialist later this week. 

With both Traylor and Owusu out, Tech turned to Taylor Geiman and Charlise Dunn, both of whom are seldomly used off the bench so early in any given night. Tech only scored 14 points in the period while Nebraska inched closer, 35-24, once the first half concluded. 

But with it, D’asia Gregg saw an increase in minutes – playing 32, the most she’s played against a Power 5 opponent since last year’s ACC Tournament when she played 30 against NC State in the semifinals. She had a huge impact, too, contributing five points and seven rebounds off the bench.

“[Gregg] is always one step ahead,” Brooks said. “She’s an ultimate connector. And now she’s knocking down a couple timely threes here and there and knocking down her free throws. And she’s smart. … She makes us a lot better.”

Nebraska pulled within 11 points in the third quarter as the two squads traded baskets. The Hokies began to cruise with a runaway fourth quarter, however, which began with an Amoore triple with 22 seconds remaining in the third. Tech went on a 17-0 run to begin the fourth quarter.

The goose egg was helped with a worldly defensive sequence that went: turnover, six straight missed shots and a shot clock violation. The Hokies’ defense, made up of four of the usual starters and Gregg, held Nebraska off the scoreboard for the first five minutes of the final period. That helped the program improve to 6-0 under Brooks in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in the final year of the event.

Virginia Tech sped away with the victory in hand, growing the lead to as much as 33 points. And the crowd cheered for one more Amoore rebound in the final three minutes, which finally came with 53 seconds left as Cassell Coliseum erupted.

A possession later, Amoore was subbed out, and she received a bear hug from Brooks and one final standing ovation from a packed house.

“I’ll say it because she won’t say it,” Elizabeth Kitley, who finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, said of Amoore. “But she works harder than anyone else. And she completely had this in her the whole time.”

Box Score: Link