SEATTLE — Some thought Virginia Tech wouldn’t make it out of its NCAA tournament subregional in Blacksburg. Or that the moment against Tennessee, a women’s basketball powerhouse, was too big. Or that it should’ve been intimidated by Ohio State’s full-court press in the Elite Eight.
The program had never been this far; there was no way it’d be able to keep the spectacular season alive, right?
Wrong. Those who followed the No. 1 seed Hokies all year knew that they were prepared for the spotlight. Though they might’ve startled some folks around the country with their presence, like Steve Rogers’ first “On your left” to Sam Wilson, they didn’t bat an eye when people overlooked them. Instead, they were determined to prove everyone wrong.
For some, that moment came in Greensboro, N.C. when Virginia Tech won the ACC championship handily. For others, it was against the Lady Vols in the Sweet 16. But any remaining skepticism that the Hokies weren’t a legit contender in March was erased on Monday night in Climate Pledge Arena. They left no doubt in their 84-74 victory over the No. 3 Buckeyes, a result that punched their ticket to the Final Four for the first time in school history.
“In my press conference when I took the job here, I said, ‘If Syracuse can do it, why can’t we?’” Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said after the win, referring to the Orange’s NCAA tournament runner-up finish in 2016. “And here we are. We have a chance to do it.”
Like all of the success this season, Monday was a product of the seven years of blood, sweat and tears that the Hokies invested. And when the opportunity arrived to cement their legacy, they did it. In every game they played in March, they were more focused and wanted it more than their opponent. And it was no different vs. No. 3 seed Ohio State (28-8).
Leading up to the game, all Tech (31-4) heard about was the Buckeyes’ press. They turned UConn over 25 times in the Sweet 16; naturally, the storyline that followed was how Tech struggled against similar styles of play this season.
But as soon as the ball was tipped in Seattle, the Hokies broke the line time and time again. Brooks believed before the game that if they could beat it enough, much like Indiana did earlier in the year, OSU would settle into a halfcourt defense. And that’s what happened in the first quarter.
Georgia Amoore zigzagged across midcourt multiple times in a row; as a result, Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff called off the press. A game that was high-scoring for the first four minutes — VT led OSU 17-10 at the six-minute mark as the two squads were a combined 12-of-13 — became slightly different than expected. And Tech struggled, missing eight of its final nine shots in the first quarter. At the same time, the Buckeyes used an 8-0 run to take the lead, 25-22.
But with 8:31 left in the second, everything changed. Ohio State forward Eboni Walker ran through Amoore, who was setting a backscreen for Elizabeth Kitley under Tech’s basket. The Australian got knocked in the chin, lost her breath and had to be helped to the locker room. To that point, it was a physical battle that the Buckeyes were winning.
Amoore returned shortly after, though. “I just had a little bit of rage and some catching up to do,” she said. And she helped the Hokies seize control of the contest once again.
“I don’t like when people beat down on my teammates, so as soon as I copped the beating, I went back and I refreshed, and I came back with a different mindset,” Amoore said.
And there was an obvious difference. She drilled a 3-pointer a few possessions after her return, and she hit another one a few minutes later. It was a close battle — the second quarter alone had five lead changes and three ties. And for the first time in the NCAA tournament, Virginia Tech trailed.
There wasn’t a change in mindset, though; the Hokies continued to go to work. And they did a better job of shutting down Ohio State guard Taylor Mikesell, who was a perfect 6-of-6 with 19 points through the first 17-plus minutes. Tech made a run, partially in thanks to two trips to the free throw line, and took a 48-45 lead into halftime. After a scary situation with Amoore’s injury and Mikesell’s hot start, a three-point cushion was not a bad position.
“I told [Georgia] right before half, [we had] to cut it or tie it going into half,” Tech guard Cayla King said. “And we did, we got the lead. So, that was more than what I asked for.”
From that point forward, the Hokies controlled the game. The Buckeyes threw the kitchen sink at them, but nothing worked. Virginia Tech stood tall.
Mikesell missed her next six attempts before making two in the fourth quarter when the game was about over. Taylor Soule, Kayana Traylor and King did a fantastic job of showing her different looks and not making anything easy.
“[In the] second half, we just knew we had to lock in defensively, help each other out,” Soule said. “I think we communicated well. These two were chasing her all over the floor all night. So, it was definitely a team effort and [I’m] proud of everybody.”
On the other end, the press returned and looked to cause problems, but Tech consistently found a way to break it. Amoore and Kitley were a one-two punch on a few possessions in a row. The Buckeyes doubled Kitley in the post, leaving Amoore wide open for three. And in a few moments, Amoore went right back to Kitley, who got an easy layup.
That duo was as good as it’s been all season, finishing with 49 combined points. Kitley had 25 while Amoore scored 24. What’s more, the two-time ACC Player of the Year grabbed 12 rebounds for her 56th double-double of her career, breaking Regan Magarity’s school record.
“Honestly, I’ve never seen someone that worked harder,” King said of Kitley, whom she’s known since their Greensboro days. “… Her and Georgia, I’ve never seen someone like continuously get better in season like they do. But she also is just willing to do whatever the team needs, and sometimes her role is to kick it back out and she gets tripled, doubled, and she can still produce those numbers, which is insane.”
King and Soule each chipped in 12 points, scoring timely baskets when needed, while Traylor and D’asia Gregg added seven and four, respectively.
And though the Hokies were 10-of-25 in the second half, they played at a favorable pace. Ohio State didn’t have enough left in the tank, especially after an 8-2 run from Tech at the end of the third quarter that pushed the margin to eight, 63-55.
Brooks & Co. were patient from there, picking their moments to strike — the Buckeyes pressed until the very end — and the clock slowly ran down. Eventually, the final horn sounded, marking the 31st victory of the year for Virginia Tech and the 15th in a row. More than that, however, it penciled the Hokies into the Final Four in Dallas, where they’ll face No. 3 seed LSU on Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. ET.
“This group is as mature and professional as any group I’ve ever seen, I’ve ever been around,” Brooks said. “And the moment’s not too big. And I think we’ll go to Dallas and we’ll be ready to play again.”
Before they depart the Emerald City, the Hokies will stop and smell the roses, as they should. The school’s third-ever NCAA semifinal appearance, joining men’s soccer in 2007 and women’s soccer in 2013, shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Monday night’s accomplishment — an Elite Eight victory over Ohio State and the resulting Final Four appearance — is one of the greatest successes in the history Virginia Tech athletics.
“The roses are going to smell really good tonight,” Brooks said.
Box Score: No. 1 Virginia Tech 84, No. 3 Ohio State 74
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David great article and loved how you incorporated the other players in the press conference because they all made impact. Sometimes lost in the event are contributions from the other players. Traylor hit the first three of the night, made a beautiful drive in 4th quarter to put it back to 10 point lead and played awesome defense in second half. Hope the thug Walker from UT is still crying
Like to know what the women’s schedule was like. When did they go to Seattle? Do they have a charter plane. When do they go to Dallas? Do they return to Blacksburg between or only after Dallas. All the travelling must make make this achievement even more amazing.
Kenny, his staff and this amazing team show the world what its like to be a Hokie. And person for person, our fans are the best!
Also Whit is the MVAD in the country!
So, is Georgia chewing gum during the game? I wonder what flavor she likes. Does she get a fresh piece every quarter or half? Or does she just chew the same piece the whole game. I wonder how many other players chew gum while playing.
I’ll ask her for you on Thursday, how bout that?
TSoule chews
Did anyone notice that OSU’s #44 seemed to play ONLY in the 2Q. That’s when she blasted Georgia Amoore. Coincidence? Doesn’t seem like it. #44 is not even shown on the OSU roster. So women’s basketball also has their enforcers/hit women?
I’ve come across numerous videos on youtube showing fights between players in women’s basketball games, and sometimes after the game. Jordan Walker’s attack on Taylor Soule in the game against Tennessee made me think I was watching the NHL, except hockey players wear helmets.
The player that blasted Amoore was #22 Eboni Walker. The box score has her as a starter and playing 19 minutes. Since the foul occurred early in the 2nd quarter she must have played after that to get 19 minutes.
VT Women’s BB – a class act all the way! Proud of what they have accomplished with more in reach. They are making an awful lot of Hokies proud of our team and VT! Go Hokies!!!!!
Fantastic fresh-faced, joyous representatives of Hokie Nation. So proud!
Great write up, David. This team is fun to watch, would love to see Iowa and Clarke vs. us and Georgia. Go Hokies!!
Yep.
Damn that Whit Babcock for hiring quality coaches who then hire quality coaches who then recruit quality players who rep the school well and WIN. Whit should be called to Dr. Sands office asap and reprimanded appropriately!
#tongueincheek
WAY TO GO LADIES!!!!!!
So proud of the women’s team and what a treat to be able to see both games in person. Pretty good representation by the Hokie faithful in Seattle. Excited to watch them play against LSU on Friday , and there’s a lot of compelling storylines, great teams and amazing players in the women’s final 4.
Everyone knows about the USC behemoth led by Aliyah Boston, but Iowa has the likely player of the year Caitlin Clark, LSU has Flau’jae Johnson, who in addition to being a great player also has a rap record deal with Jay’Z’s Roc Nation, and of course our Hokies. Needless to say I’m much more excited to see the Women’s final 4 than the men’s.
Go Hokies!
Are you suggesting there is also a men’s BB tourney going on? Huh, hard to notice. 😉
Jealous of your seeing it live, that was a packed house of pure fans of the game, Seattle showed up. That Q1 was an unbelievable show by both teams, shooting lights-out.
The men are still playing?
Yeah, and guess who’s in the Men’s Final Four: San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, Miami, and Uconn. Wouldn’t it be cool if the ACC won both the men’s and women’s basketball championships?
Also a bit of a pained reminder that if SDS, FAU and Miami can make a Final Four, why can’t we? UConn has some pedigree now but the other teams don’t.
This was an awesome game to watch. So proud of these Hokies – and hope they keep on being underestimated!
Great article, David. Also, very classy move on your part to focus your press conference questions to the supporting cast that doesn’t get much press.
I was thinking the same thing. David is a true student of the sports he covers and always sees the unsung heroes and their contributions. Just see his article on Moe as an example. Well done, David!
Awesome team effort. They showed up and showed out.
Is it just me or does it seem that almost every Power 5 team the girls have faced have 1-2 “thugs” whose job is to take out VT’s best players. VT shot a lot more free throws last night than OSU, but our ladies simply don’t play that way. Sure would like to see some flagrant fouls called and maybe even an ejection to stop this classless tactic. Our players are “tough”- some of it needs to rub off on the men’s team.
+100 on the Thugs comment, was exactly my take. It seemed they were trained by the OSU linebacker coach. Such toughness and grit by the lady Hokies to counter their onslaught, and not even get upset along the way. Massive show of class. That’s what it takes to win these days, and I hope they recover enough physically and mentally for at least one more win. Regardless, this team is as good as any in Hokie sports history, and as fun to watch as any team I’ve seen. Shout-out to the two Greensboro girls!
I posted a similar comment yesterday. We have very classy ladies. However, the rest of the NCAA teams seem more like a hockey squad with a bunch of goons.
Yes, our ladies are classy but we win with our skill and mental toughness. Other than Taylor, we don’t have the bodies to compete physically even if we wanted to (maybe Kitley somewhat but she is more of a finesse player). But, it’s a credit to them to not get frustrated and knocked off our game when other teams try and beat us up. We just need to the refs to call fouls to keep the playing field level.
Amoore should probably not set picks down low. Nothing against her, she is just small.
Love the way Georgia destroyed their vaunted press defense! That girl is unbelievable!
Overjoyed and overwhelmed to watch such a great team effort. I went through a few Kleenex afterwards. Win it all, ladies!
We’re just really proud of you Ladies!!! Go Hokies!
Hats off to Coach Brooks and these women! They are absolutely a joy to watch play.
So much fun to watch this team…
Need to get the checkbook ready for Brooks. For sure his compensation will need to be addressed!
+1!!
A lot of schools will be coming after CKB with bags of ca$h. Hopefully our football-centric fanbase and leadership will summon the resources necessary to reward and retain this gem of a man.
I don’t think he wants to jump by any means but money talks.
He needs to average close to $1m/year to keep everything competitive.
Great game. Every player played their hearts out, especially the wonder from down under. I thought for sure she had a concussion and would be lost for the game. And Kitley was mauled over and over again and kept playing through it all. They had to beat the press and they were more than up to the task. These ladies are boot leather tough.
Who gives a crap about the pundits or any other critic. I don’t. Go Hokies!!!!!
Coach Brooks and his staff were brilliant by using screens to break the press.
Great! Great! Great!
Georgia Amoore is amazing. Her ability to dribble against the press completely changed the game in VT’s favor. Then her ability to get the ball to Elizabeth Kitley in clutch time in the final quarter was crucial. And finally, her foul shooting (with that quick release) sealed the greatest win in program history.
If the team defense can elevate itself to match the moment, this weekend may just become Hokie Nation’s greatest “one shining moment”!
So proud of this team.
Great article David. By the way, it should be another way around, with Kitly scored 25: “Amoore had 25 while Kitley scored 24”
since we’re correcting: “ … victory over the No. 3 Buckeyes, a result that punched their ticket [to] the Final Four for the first time in school history.”
Thank you for this comment, too. Appreciate the feedback. Apologies for the mistake. Thanks for reading.
Yes, thank you. It’s fixed. Long night. Appreciate the feedback, and thank you for reading.
Great team. Great write up. Awesome photos! What a magical ride! Go Hokies!
Impressive win ladies…beat the Tigers!
Is Georgia’s middle name Foreman? My word. You could tell the team turned it up a notch when she came back from being knocked down. Impressive
Shake the Tiger by the tail Ladies!!! Go Hokies
In the words of Sonny Weaver Jr “I was pissed”
She is the baddest woman since Ellen Ripley and Sarah Conner
Words can’t express what Coach Brooks, his staff and this amazing team has done for VT. These Young Ladies are True Hokies !! My Hokie cap is off to them !!
OMG! Go Hokies! What a game! Press Press Press? What Press?❤️ Great reporting David!
Great write up!!! A special history making moment for these special ladies. Love how the pundits were proved wrong again and again. Good luck in Dallas!!!