Brooks’ Hokies open the season in style, see individuals continue to grow in quick 2-0 startBrooks’ Hokies open the season in style, see individuals continue to grow in quick 2-0 start
Women's Basketball

Brooks’ Hokies open the season in style, see individuals continue to grow in quick 2-0 start

Opens in a new window WBB Tickets Opens in a new window VT Head Coach Kenny Brooks Quotes

BLACKSBURG – If you had asked Hokies' head coach Kenny Brooks how confident he was that all of his new pieces would come together to the tune of 182 points in the first two games, he would have been skeptical. But after blitzing Saint Francis for 105 points on opening night and scoring another 77 Sunday afternoon in this squad's first trip outside of the friendly confines of Cassell Coliseum, some of his fears may have been put to rest. 
 
"I have to give them credit, I don't think we played great, obviously you want to play pretty basketball but I thought we did a really good job of coming out and establishing ourselves," Brooks told Bryant Johnson postgame at EagleBank Arena. "Even when you don't play 'pretty basketball' we still scored 77 points on the road. I was proud of the kids, the way they felt it and let the game come to them and saw what the defense was giving them and they capitalized on it." 
 
True, the Hokies shooting dipped, from a gaudy 67% in the opener to a very respectable 47% Sunday against the Patriots, and there were more miscues, five more turnovers, but still Tech found a way to rebuff every George Mason run and ultimately pull away for a comfortable 19-point victory. Tech scored the first basket 14 seconds into the game and never trailed.
 
One of the stars was junior guard Aisha Sheppard who had a career day in front of some 70 family members and friends in what was a homecoming game. Mason's EagleBank Arena in Fairfax is minutes away from Alexandria where Sheppard grew up. 
 
"When she keeps it simple she is effective and a fantastic player," Brooks commented. "I told her last night at dinner, 'We went through a lot at the beginning to get to this point right now so enjoy it, keep it simple and we're going to have a tremendous year.' She had a really good game, but the thing is I'm going to drive her and drive her because I know what her potential is."
 
Hokie Nation was introduced to Sheppard, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Washington DC during the 2017-18 season where she eclipsed teammate Kendyl Brooks' freshman year record with 76 made 3-pointers. Her best game, at least in terms of scoring, was at nationally ranked Notre Dame where she scored 21 points and tied the program record with seven 3's made in an ACC game. 
 
She topped that performance Sunday with 22 points on 8 of 19 shooting, and knocking down four 3's as she continues to climb the career charts in that category. Sheppard also contributed in other areas with four rebounds, three assists and three steals, one of which was a memorable one, where she stepped into the passing lane, intercepted the ball and scored a breakaway layup forcing the Patriots to call timeout.
 
Another impact performer was graduate transfer Lydia Rivers, who recorded her first double-double in maroon with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Her energy and toughness off the bench were a spark all afternoon, she corralled six offensive boards to keep possessions alive and cleaned up defensively as well with another nine on that end of the court. 
 
"She was unbelievable today," Brooks said of the 6-foot-2 forward. "Lydia probably played more minutes than she is accustomed to or needs to play, but she did a really good job and I was proud of her. That was a monster game, and it wasn't just the 16 points and 15 rebounds, she did a lot of little things for us and I was very proud of her." 
 
Through two games with the Hokies, she is averaging 12.5 points, 11.5 boards, 4 assists and is shooting 56% from the field. 
 


 
One of the best point guards in America, Taja Cole's impact has also been felt not only with her timely buckets (9.0 points per game), or her ACC-best 8.0 assists per game, but her tempo and defensive prowess.
 
"Taja's stat line won't look like she was playing as well as everybody else, but Taj really controlled the tempo," commented Brooks. "I feel like I'm a much better coach when I have a player like Taj out there controlling everything. Let's not forget Taj's defense on Nicole Cardano-Hillary, she locked her down and did a fantastic job."
 
Cardano-Hillary joins Cole on the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List, and she struggled mightily, in large part thanks to Cole's defense. She was just 3 of 14 from the field and logged 21 minutes as a result of foul trouble.
 
After the first week of the 2019-20 basketball season, the Hokies lead the conference in several categories:

  • Assists per game (21.0)
  • Field Goal percentage (.581)
  • Scoring margin (41.5)

 
Individuals find themselves at the top of the charts as well:

  • Taja Cole's 8.0 assists per game lead the league.
  • Lydia Rivers' 11.5 rebounds per game also top the ACC charts. She is one of 13 players to record a double-double.
  • Elizabeth Kitley's 16 made field goals rank second in the league. 

 
Kitley recognized as the conference's Freshmen of the Week
 


 
The Summerfield, N.C. native wasted no time imprinting her name into the record books, as she scored 27 points in the season opening 105-41 victory over Saint Francis. Her debut was the highest scoring for any Virginia Tech freshman and the second best of any Tech player in history. She was 13 of 15 from the field and pulled down five rebounds.
 
Sunday afternoon at George Mason, she tallied eight points and eight rebounds in her first collegiate road game. 
 
Virginia Tech returns to the court on Friday, November 15 when they take on the Liberty Flames at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.