BLACKSBURG – With March in full swing, Virginia Tech prepares to make a run at the ACC Tournament and play themselves into the 'Big Dance'. The run begins tomorrow afternoon, when the 10th-seeded Hokies matchup with the 15 seed, last place Wake Forest at 3:30 p.m. from the Greensboro Coliseum.
The Hokies began the season 13-0 for the second time in three seasons, reaching the ACC portion of the schedule unblemished. But it was not without facing some adversity.
The Hokies needed a game winner with 2.8 seconds on the clock on a put back from forward Trinity Baptiste to defeat Villanova in Orlando at UCF's Thanksgiving Classic.
Tech defeated Rutgers 67-51 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. For the program, it was the fourth straight victory in the competition following victories over Illinois, Nebraska and Penn State. The Scarlet Knights have gone on to have a fine season, winning 21 games and standing in third place in the Big Ten.
Virginia Tech met another Big Ten opponent at the West Palm Invitational in December where they knocked off Ohio State, the fifth-place team in that league. Tech erased a 16-point deficit with hot shooting in the second half that included seven 3-pointers.
Tech, who has an identical 6-10 league record as a season ago, had several close calls this season, with eight losses by single digits, two of those in overtime to ranked opponents. On another occasion, the Hokies closed the gap to a bucket with 30 seconds to play against No. 2 Louisville and gave up its first lead of the game in the final minute to FSU.
The Hokies have excelled at the free throw line this season, leading the nation in percentage at 80. Three players; Dara Mabrey (.860), Trinity Baptiste (.857) and Taylor Emery (.849) have cashed in from the charity stripe, shooting above 84 percent on the season.
Tech, who enjoys shooting the long ball has three of the program's best shooters in history. Junior Kendyl Brooks is fifth all-time with 155 triples, while senior Taylor Emery (132) and sophomore Aisha Sheppard (123) are seventh and ninth respectively. Regan Magarity also has 99 career 3-pointers.
Team and individual records set this season
- In Tech's 78-49 victory over Georgia Southern, three players; Regan Magarity, Trinity Baptiste and Taylor Emery each recorded double-doubles, just the fourth time the feat had been accomplished in program history. For Baptiste, who also tallied a double-double in her Virginia Tech debut versus USC Upstate, it was the first time that a newcomer had secured a stat line like that in a debut since 1981.
- The second game three players recorded double doubles for the third time in program history and the first since 1987. Regan, Trinity and Taylor.
- Forward Regan Magarity became the first women in program history to record 1,000 rebounds when she accomplished the feat in the Hokies' 83-51 rout of Mount St. Mary's. A redshirt senior, she has led the ACC in rebounds all season, pulling down 375, a new program record. She owns the top three single season rebounding totals in Virginia Tech history.
- Senior guard Taylor Emery became the fastest player to record 1,000 points when she did so in just her 55thcareer game against North Carolina. She eclipsed the 1,000-point threshold in 55 games, smashing Tere Williams' previous program best of 71. Emery holds the school record for scoring average, at 18.3 points per game.
- The Hokies made a program best 16 3-pointers in the rout of Longwood on the final day of the non-conference season. Mabrey connected on five, Emery, Sheppard and Kendyl Brooks each made three and Baptiste scored two of the 16 triples.
- Tech snapped a streak of 17 losses in a row to ranked opposition with their upset of No. 17 Miami in the closing weeks of the season.
The 2018-19 ACC Tournament
- Tech will head to Greensboro, North Carolina, the site of the ACC Tournament Tuesday afternoon in preparation for Wednesday's First Round against Wake Forest, tipping at 3:30 p.m. The Hokies and Demon Deacons will meet for the second time in four days, as the two met this past Sunday, Senior Day in Blacksburg, where the Hokies pulled away late for a 69-57 victory. Tech now owns a 14-13 advantage in the all-time series.
- The Tournament tips off on Wednesday, March 6 and runs through the championship game on Sunday, March 10, with all games being played at the Greensboro Coliseum.