Viriginia Tech Women Find Redemption in Paradise - The Deep Six

After its disappointing road loss to JMU, the Virginia Tech women's basketball team hoped for a turnaround in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. After a Thanksgiving day 64-60 loss to BYU, the Hokies flipped the script to defeat Oregon State, 78-67,

VIRGINIA TECH LOSES TO BYU 64-60 - UGH

I am not going into detail about the first half of the BYU game. Despite Virginia Tech going into the half with a 27-23 lead, the first half was ugly.  Tech shot 11-for-35 (31.4%) and 1-for-6 from 3 (16.7%). The Hokies had 10 turnovers, which helped BYU score 18 points of Tech turnovers.  Mel Daley kept the team in the game with 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting and 2 steals; most of her shots came up mid-range pull-up jumpshots.  Mackenzie Nelson contributed 4 pts on 1-of-3 shooting and had 3 rebounds. Leila Wells had 4 points.  Everyone else struggled. Fortunately, for Tech, BYU was not much better. The Cougars shot 9-for-27 (33.3%) and were 0-for-3 from three, and had 15 turnovers, which was the main dynamic that helped Virginia Tech build its four point lead.

The third quarter was more of the same, but the Hokies did enough to actually extend their lead. After a Daley missed jumpshot from beyond the arc and a good defensive possession, Wenzel looked like she was going to shoot a 3 but intelligently drove baseline by the defender for a layup to make it 29-23. Another shot of a screen by BYU makes it 29-25.  Daley and CarleighWenzel both drove against two defenders multiple times to no avail. Nelson missed two free throws after an offensive rebound and the Hokies suffered through a series of bad interior passes before Wenzel was fouled on a short jumper. She made both free throws to put Tech up 31-25. After a Carys Baker miss, Tech got lucky: Kilah Freelon secured the offensive rebound but threw it into the backcourt for what would have been a turnover; however, in the rush to recover the ball, a BYU player touched it negating the backcourt violation. Wenzel grabbed the ball and was fouled.  Nelson passed to Baker in the short corner on the next possession to extend the Hokie lead to 33-27 and, despite all the mishaps, appeared to be in control.

From that point on, BYU clawed back to make it a back-and-forth game. Samyha Suffren lost her player for an open three; BYU nailed it to make it 33-30. Baker threw up a driving shot against a defender that did not go in, and BYU accordingly responded with another open three to tie the game at 33 apiece. Suffren and Wenzel missed three pointers, and after a series of turnovers, BYU scores to go up 35-33. Tech had a nice sequence in which Nelson drove the length of the court for a layup and, on the next possession, drove and kicked to Wenzel, who made her first three of the game. With 2:53 left in the third quarter, Tech had claimed its last lead of the game - 38-35. Thirty seconds later came a cruel sequence that tipped the game in BYU’s favor. Freelon fouled BYU’s Bolanie Youssef, sending her to the line. After making the first, Youssef missed the second. BYU’s Brinley Cannon grabbed the offensive rebound and put it in the hoop to tie the game.  True to form, BYU scores off free throws and another open three to carve out a 43-38 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Wenzel and Daley tried to keep the Hokies in it, scoring 15 of Tech’s final 20 points. Daley drove into the lane and passed to Wenzel who hit the three from the right side, 43-41. On the next Hokie possession, Freelon passed out to Wenzel who stroked another three from the top of the key, 47-44. Late as the game neared its end, Nelson drove baseline on an inbounds sequence and passed back to Wenzel flowing behind her for another made 3.

Daley tried to do her part. She used a screen at the elbow and drove to the shallow post for tough two.  Later, she got the ball at the top of the key again and used a little screen to make a jumper.  Nelson drove and kicked to Daley for a baseline jumper to make it 54-52 with 3:11 left. Freelon added two free throws to keep the deficit at three with 1:43 left. However, a series of fouls, missed shots, and turnovers over the next minute allowed BYU to push the lead to seven and seal the game for a 64-60 win over Virginia Tech.

VIRGINIA TECH vs. OREGON STATE - REDEMPTION!

Virginia Tech faced Oregon State on Saturday in the third place game. The key question coming into the game against Oregon State was going to be how the Hokies would respond to a disappointing two-game losing streak characterized by sloppy play, missed opportunities, and trouble defending the screen and roll. Perhaps some time on the beautiful beaches of the Virgin Islands would help bring much-needed zen and heat.

Virginia Tech indeed came out hot. Wenzel hit a nice jump shot off a screen by Freelon after an offensive rebound by Daley.  Nelson followed with her own jumpshot off yet another screen by Freelon to go up 4-2. After Wenzel drew an illegal screen, Daley hit a pull up jumper along the baseline to stake Tech to a 6-2 lead.  Oregon State closed it to 8-7, but Tech stopped the Beavers’ momentum. Nelson hit an open three, Wenzel used a handoff to hit another jumper, Baker nailed a three off a kick back pass from Nelson, and Daley hit two free throws to put Tech in control with an 18-9 lead. Balanced scoring led by Daley’s 8 points and Nelson’s 7 points allowed the Hokies to end the 1st quarter leading 26-14.

Daley continued to go to work in the second quarter against Oregon State’s zone defense. She tipped in a 3-pt miss and then hit a variety of shots from the baseline, free throw line, and wing scoring 8 more points to bring her game total to 18. Other players contributed as well: Freelon added five points, Nelson hit Baker for a full transition layup, and Wenzel made two free throws. Even with Oregon State showing signs of life and actually outscoing the Hokies in the second, Tech still enjoyed a 44-33 lead.

Tech started out hot again in the third, featuring its transition game and nice ball movement:

• Mackenzie makes an immediate pass ahead to Freelon for a fast break layup, 46-35
• Nelson drives the length of the court for a layup - 48-35
• Wenzel gets a rebound, drives the length of the court, and is fouled on the layup attempt. She makes 1 of 2,  51-35
• Nelson passes ahead to Wells for a layup, 53-35

Two free throws by Wenzel put Virginia Tech up by its largest, 20-point margin - 55-35.

From that point, Oregon State started chipping away, mainly from the free throw line, bringing the deficit down to twelve (62-50) to start the fourth quarter.  The Beavers carried that momentum into the final frame, benefitting from turnovers and fouls by Tech. In addition, the Hokies went away from what worked against the zone, settling for (and missing) three pointers and watching their lead dwindle to three (62-59) after a three pointer by Oregon State. After a Duffy timeout. Virginia Tech regrouped, extended its lead, and won 78-67 to avoid a three-game losing streak.

SIX THOUGHTS AFTER THE GAMES

Soul Searching: Valuing the Basketball + Leadership

Following on the heels of the JMU game in which Tech missed multiple opportunities to win that game, it felt like ball control would be an even greater point of emphasis going into the tougher part of the schedule. However, in the first half of the BYU game, it felt like players, especially the guards, were not valuing the ball yet again. The team played too fast, committed multiple turnovers, and shot poorly -  not always because of the BYU defense.  Indeed, the Hokies committed a season high 18 turnovers against BYU.

The Hokies struggled at times to make basic entry passes into Freelon, for example: several passes were tipped, stolen, or ended up going out of bounds. You could see Freelon indicating where she wanted the ball after a couple of near mistakes. She, herself, needs to seal better and also flow to the pass, but the guards need to be more patient and not force passes into the lane.

There are times guards drive into trouble or multiple defenders when there are opportunities to pass. Part of the problem is poor spacing due to teammates not taking defenders away. Part of the problem is their eyes tell them a lane to the basket exists, but openings sometimes close as help defenders arrive to make the drive or shot difficult. Against BYU, for example, Suffren made a nice steal off full court pressure and immediately drove into the lane drawing two defenders. She missed the layup, and the result was a jump ball. However, she had a teammate to pass to when the second defender closed on her. While her quickness and ability to get into the lane are weapons, she has a tendency to drive when there are passes that could be made.

Offensively, the main players who largely showed up against BYU were Daley, Wenzel, and Nelson. Even then, Wenzel didn’t shoot well despite leading the team with 18 points. Freelon did grab 8 rebounds but finished with 5 points. Baker finished with 6 points. The Hokies , especially its key leaders, might have needed to do some soul-searching after the two losses.

Tech found its redemption against Oregon State and played an overall good game. The Hokies came out torrid and stayed hot for most of the game. The Hokies shot 52.8% from the field and made 14-of-16 (87.5%) free throws through three quarters. Daley led the team with 24 points, Baker added 20, Wenzel scored 14, Nelson contributed 9, and both Freelon and Wells chipped in 6 points. The team as a whole dished out 21 assists and only committed 14 turnovers. In addition, Tech outrebounded Oregon State, 36-35, despite facing a trio of 6’5+ Beavers. Lastly, Tech largely played quality defense (I think Nelson draws at least one charge per game!).

The Hokies Don’t Fold

Against Oregon State, the guards showed real leadership. Yes, there were turnovers and forced drives. However, Wenzel. Nelson, Wells, Daley, and Sophia Swanson all showed patience and intelligence in running the Tech offense, especially when Oregon State went to their zone defense.

In those losses against JMU and BYU, the Hokies suffered poor third quarters that put them in holes but fought back from deficits and grabbed leads in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, in both games, they could not hold the leads and folded down the stretch due to cold shooting, turnovers, and defensive breakdowns. Tech looked to flip the script and actually held Oregon State to 2 points in the third for nearly 5 minutes, building that 20-point lead. When Oregon State cut into that lead, it was due to a familiar script by Tech: sloppy passes, missed shots, giving up scores against both straight line drives and screening action,  and fouling. Tech’s turnover problem reappeared when attempting passes into the teeth of the zone. In addition, the Hokies got away from what worked in the first half and settled for three point shots, with Wells, Wenzel, Nelson, and Baker all missing. Indeed, Tech did not score for the first 2 and half minutes of the fourth. Oregon State hit a three at the 7:26 mark cutting the lead to 3 points (62-59) and forcing that timeout by Coach Duffy.

Instead of folding, the Hokies responded. After the timeout, Tech slowed down and methodically worked the ball, outscoring the Beavers 16-8 over the final seven minutes because they were patient and poised. Baker provided the spark that helped close the game out.

Daley Has Coming out Party

After having a quiet start to the season, Daley had a coming out party in the islands, scoring 16 points against BYU and 24 points against Oregon State. She also scored her 1000th career point in the BYU game. She made her mark in the first halves of both games - keeping the Hokies in the game against the Cougars and jumpstarting Tech against Oregon State.  Daley has a great mid-range jumper game, and it showed with her scoring from the wing, baseline, and the lane in both games. The coaching staff also put her in positions to be effective. Against BYU, she scored several times on designed plays in which she got a pass at the top of the key and used another player as a screen for a dribble pull up jumpshot. Against Oregon State’s zone, she got the ball consistently at the free throw line in the first half and hit shot after shot.  She also forced several loose balls that resulted in steals and full court layups. Her athleticism, length, and accuracy from mid-range are going to be crucial going into ACC play.

Attacking Oregon State’s Zone

When Oregon State went to their zone defense, Tech knew how to attack it. Yes, there were ill-advised drives and some intercepted passes by players attempting to make a play. The aforementioned Daley put on a show as a one-woman zone buster. When Oregon State had cut the lead to three in the fourth quarter, Tech had largely gotten away from attacking the zone. After that timeout, Duffy started sending Baker instead of Daley into the middle of the zone where she made three jumpshots from the free throw line area.  Daley followed suit with one of her own. Then with the Hokies leading by seven, Baker got another pass into the high post, drew defenders, and hit Daley, cutting down the lane for a layup that stretched the lead. Even when Oregon State made interior passing more difficult, Tech smartly moved the ball for open looks from either the baseline or from beyond the arc.

Baker Gets on Heater

Baker’s stat line against BYU was not impactful:  33.3% from the field, including 0-for-2 from three. Two total rebounds. Zero assists. Zero steals. Zero free throw attempts. 6 points. Amani Jenkins equaled Baker’s rebound total in only four minutes of action against the Cougars. In order for Virginia Tech to have a successful season, Baker has to contribute more. If there were private conversations on the team’s day off, the message was received! 

Baker did a complete 180 against Oregon State. She had 5 points on 2-of-3 shooting with one three pointer and two rebounds in the first quarter alone. By half-time, she had scored a total of 7 points and added another rebound. Baker continued to work hard on the boards and even got to the free throw line in the third. However, in the fourth, it was Baker who put on her Super Woman cape just as the Hokies needed her.  She scored those three jump shots from the free throw line after Oregon State had cut the lead to three. Getting those shots to fall seemingly filled her with confidence as Baker turned up the heat even more. Daley drove into the lane and hit Baker rotating back to the top for a three - BOOM.  Wenzel hit Baker in the corner for another three - BOOM. The lead was now 78-65 with 1:46 left, and the game was essentially over. Baker finished the game with season-highs 20 points on 61% shooting and 7 rebounds.

Welcome to the Big Leagues Amani Jenkins 

Coming into the Virgin Islands games, Amani Jenkins had only seen action in three games, logging time against Towson, Gardner-Webb, and Niagara. She did not get time in the loss to JMU. Given the Hokies thin depth in the interior, it is crucial that either Jenkins or fellow freshman forward Aniya Trent develop enough to earn the trust of the coaching staff. In what amounted to a step up in competition, Jenkins got spot time in the loss to BYU, acquitting herself well to the tune of 2 rebounds and a bucket.

Oregon State threw a front line of  6’8” Nene Sow, 6'5” Lizzy Williamson, and 6’3” Lara Alonso-Basurto against Virginia Tech. While the Hokies' primary interior players Baker, Freelon, and Kayl Peterson worked hard to defend and rebound against their Beaver counterparts, it took its toll. Freelon was in and out of the line up with fouls and finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds. Peterson only played seven minutes, picking up three fouls trying to defend players driving the lane line.  Oregon State’s size resulted in 14 offensive rebounds.

Jenkins came in and played very well.  She did not attempt a shot; however, it was her defense that helped win the game.  She did a great job hedging on screens and recovering to her player in the second quarter. With the Hokies nursing a five point lead with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Jenkins was in the game. She played great defense in a sequence in which she blocked a shot, got the rebound, and got the ball to Nelson who hit a streaking Daley for a layup to extend the lead. I should note that Aniya Trent also got minutes when Jenkins went out after picking up two fouls (it is also worth noting that Baker did not pick up a foul despite having to defend Oregon State’s bigs), but Jenkin’s defensive performance against a Power 4 team could portend a bigger role as the season progresses.

NEXT UP

Going 1-1 in the Virgin Islands feels better after finishing with a win. Overcoming adversity and avoiding a second half collapse again will help build confidence. In addition, the Hokies started to flash some depth. Wells came on as a first option at guard off the bench. Swanson earned minutes and showed strong passing while she builds her confidence in her shot.  Amani Jenkins held up against Power Four posts.  There is still work to be done, but the team can use this experience when it returns home to play Florida on Thursday, December 4, in the ACC/SEC Challenge (5:00 pm. ET, ESPN2). Florida owns wins against ACC foes Florida State and Georgia Tech, so the Hokies will look to defend its home court and ACC prestige.

Youtube Highlights of the BYU and Oregon State Games