With a touch over three minutes left in the third quarter, Kayana Traylor drove to the hoop after D’asia Gregg was short on a 3-point attempt. The Virginia Tech guard laid the ball in the basket as she drew contact from High Point’s Jenson Edwards.
Traylor earned an and-one opportunity and drilled a free throw moments later. In a game that was already a blowout – Tech led by 15 – those points were significant to Traylor’s effort.
The free throw accounted for her 20th point of the game – her first since she arrived at Tech two years ago – and Traylor became the third Hokie to score 20-plus points on Wednesday night, the first time that’s happened in a single game in program history.
Elizabeth Kitley (25 points), Taylor Soule (24) and Traylor (22) led the way for No. 8 Virginia Tech (11-1, 1-1 ACC) in its 86-66 runaway victory over High Point (2-8) at the Qubein Center in High Point, N.C.
Kitley, too, accounted for a team high seven rebounds, seven assists and four blocks in an all-around superstar effort. She was 11-of-14 from the floor while Soule was 11-of-18 and Traylor converted seven of her 10 shots – no other Tech player recorded more than nine points.
The Hokies only led by one point, 17-16, at the end of the first period. It marked one of the slowest defensive starts of the season, to which High Point shot 50% (6-of-12) in the first quarter. But Tech’s offense kicked it into another gear the rest of the way as it scored 51 combined points in the second and third quarters.
Wednesday was a different look for Tech, who normally shuts inferior teams out with great defensive performances. High Point knocked down 50% or more of its shots in the first, second (7-of-11) and fourth periods (7-of-12).
But it was the Hokies’ offense that took over the rest of the way after a 7-of-17 start in the first. In the last three quarters, Tech was 27-of-44 from the floor, good enough for a 61.4% clip.
It was Tech’s second-most efficient offensive performance of the season with 1.32 points per possession. The Hokies’ rout against Mount St. Mary’s in the season-opener on Nov. 7 (1.38 PPP) was the only game they scored the basketball more efficiently.
But on the defensive side, it was arguably the worst Tech was all season. The Panthers became the first team to average more than a point per possession (1.02) and were only held under 50% shooting in the third quarter (35.7%). They were 8-of-17 from behind the arc and three players scored in double figures, led by Claire Wyatt’s 17.
In the end, though, it was Virginia Tech’s offense that dominated all evening long. In performances like that, teams can get away with it even with a lackluster defensive effort. The Hokies proved they could do just that on Wednesday.
Box score: Link
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Based on box score, Brooks still playing essentially 6 person rotation.