According to JIMMY ROBERTSON from the Associated Press

Blacksburg, Va.

Elizabeth Kitley made a layup from a cross-court inbound pass with less than a second left, leading the 13th ranked Virginia Tech women’s team to a 63-62 victory over previously unbeaten and third-ranked NC State on Sunday.

Kitley made 12 out of 24 shots and scored a total of 27 points for the Hokies (12-2, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). They came back from a 13-point deficit in the second half to secure their seventh straight win. This victory also marks their 19th consecutive win at home.

Georgia Amoore scored 21 points for the Hokies, with a shooting percentage of 41.5% (27 out of 65).

Amoore stated that they have rehearsed the play multiple times during practice. They recognize that Cayla excels in her ability to accurately pass with great vision, and Amoore was confident that the play would be successful since it has been effective in the past.

With 1:28 left in the game, Kitley’s basket put the Hokies ahead 61-60. However, the Wolfpack quickly countered with a layup by Saniya Rivers to take back the lead with less than three seconds left.

Following breaks taken by both teams, Cayla King executed a cross-court high arc throw to the 6-foot-6 Kitley, who successfully caught it and made the final shot to win the game.

“We needed it, and obviously we stumbled early in the year against the two ranked opponents,” Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks said. “We just kind of like dug in and said, ‘Hey, we’re not trying to prove anybody wrong. We’re just going to continue to prove ourselves right,’ and that worked for us last year, and it continues to work for us.”

Madison Hayes led the Wolfpack (14-1, 2-1) with 21 points.

Rivers scored a total of 12 points for the Wolfpack, who had a 40.7% shooting percentage (24 of 59) and only made one field goal in the last eight minutes.

“I believe the most devastating aspect is that we hold a great deal of admiration for their team, and we were just two seconds shy of defeating them on their home court,” expressed NC State coach Wes Moore. “It’s heartbreaking. As a coach, you can’t help but wonder if there was something else I could have done to secure the win.”

TAKEAWAYS

NC State’s team, the Wolfpack, did not have their center River Baldwin in their recent game against Florida State due to an ankle injury. According to Moore, Baldwin may not be able to play for a few weeks. Her absence may have affected their defense against Kitley during the last play. Despite this, the Wolfpack have already achieved three victories against top-25 teams, two of which were against top-10 teams. This puts them in a strong position as they head into the final two months of the season.

Virginia Tech was in search of a significant victory, having suffered losses to highly-ranked teams Iowa and LSU earlier in the season. They capitalized on what could be considered their best chance left and this triumph is likely to boost their ranking in the upcoming Associated Press poll. It will undoubtedly have a positive impact on their seeding for the NCAA Tournament in March.

RECORD CROWD

Virginia Tech officials declared that the game was completely sold out, making it the first time in the program’s history for a regular-season game. The recorded attendance was 8,925.

UP NEXT

North Carolina State University will be hosting a game against the University of Virginia on Thursday.

On Thursday, Virginia Tech will be hosting Miami.

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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Source: wralsportsfan.com