No. 15 Virginia Tech Crushes Radford 85-40

No. 15 Virginia Tech defeated Radford 85-40 for its 11th straight win over the neighboring school.

Liz Kitley and the Hokies started red hot with an 11-0 lead, Kitley accounting for eight. After nearly six minutes, Radford finally got a shot to drop, courtesy of Taniya Hanner. The Highlanders struggled to shoot effectively, just 2-13 through the first quarter.

The second quarter proved much more competitive, but the Hokies 21-point lead continued to grow. Georgia Amoore added nine to the board, hitting a three, two jumpers, and two free throws.

“The first quarter and the third quarter in particular, we were very good at taking away a lot of their opportunities,” said Head Coach Kenny Brooks.

Tech grabbed the reigns and got to business with 90 seconds left in the first half. The Hokies put up eight points before heading to the locker room. When they returned, another 19 unanswered points for a staggering 9.5 minute, 27-point run.

“We’re just really emphasizing coming out hot, strong, and bring the energy,” said Amoore. “In the locker room, we talk about third-quarter blitz, and just coming out and not going through a lull.”

Kitley led the Hokies with a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double. Amoore followed with 15, Matilda Ekh with 12, and Carleigh Wenzel 11.

Clara Strack was just a point shy of a solid 10-10 double-double herself. Strack and Carys Baker have been great recently, making huge strides in their first years. These two will be key players down the line and have the ability to lead the team in the future.

“Clara continues to get better and we continue to get comfortable with her and what she’s able to do,” said Brooks. “Carys Baker is really impressive as well. She spreads the floor for us. She shoots the ball exceptionally well.”

Virginia Tech will play Rutgers (6-6) on Dec. 17th, William & Mary (3-6) on Dec. 21st, and Pitt (5-5) on Dec. 31st to close out 2023.