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