Hokies take talents north for Thursday night primetime contestHokies take talents north for Thursday night primetime contest
Women's Basketball

Hokies take talents north for Thursday night primetime contest

Opens in a new window VT - SU notes

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women's basketball program takes its 3-game win streak on the road to upstate New York Thursday evening as the Hokies take on the 9-10 Syracuse Orange at 8 pm. The game will be shown on ACC Network.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Virginia Tech at Syracuse
Thursday, January 30 – 8 PM
ACC Network

  • Pam Ward (Play-by-play)
  • Debbie Antonelli (Color analyst)

 
A win for the Hokies wouldn't just continue the momentum built up over the past few weeks with the squad winning five of six games, it would equal to program's best win total in the league (6) in just nine games. 
 
Tech has also never won four straight contests in the ACC.
 
The Hokies are coming off a 2-0 week at home where they registered consecutive 20-point conference victories for the first time since the 2015-16 season with a 70-49 victory over Boston College and a 71-50 triumph against Clemson. Tech is 10-0 at home inside Cassell Coliseum this season.
 
There have been terrific individual performances of late, but team defense is what stands out as the Hokies have held each of their last two opponents to under 30% shooting from the floor. Boston College's 49 points were a season low and Clemson's 50 was well under their season average of 61.2 points per game.
 
Forward Lydia Rivers tallied her first career ACC double-double this past Sunday with a 10-point, 15-rebound effort against the Tigers, all while playing tremendous defense in the post. She held Clemson forward Kobi Thornton to just seven points on 2 of 8 shooting.
 


 
Taja Cole provided nine assists in the game and also lead the Hokies in scoring with 15 points in 36 minutes of action. 
 



Aisha Sheppard was in double figures for the 18th time in 19 games with 12 points.
 


 
THE ORANGE
Syracuse enters the contest at 9-10 on the season and 2-5 in league play.
 
The Orange are carrying consecutive losses vs. Duke (88-58) and at Wake Forest 65-60).
 
Guard Kiara Lewis is the catalyst offensively for the squad, averaging 17.6 points per game. The Orange's second leading scorer is forward Emily Engstler (9.8) who also averages 9.8 rebounds per contest.
 
On the season, Syracuse leads the conference in 3-point shots, hoisting up 541, but only converting 28%. Forward Digna Strautmane leads the team with 39 makes from that range.
 
NEXT TIME ON CARILION CLINIC COURT
•The Hokies are back at Cassell Coliseum on Sunday, February 2 for a 2 p.m. tip against Miami.
•Last season, the Hokies and 'Canes split the series with each program winning on their home floor. Tech's 73-65 win over No. 14 Miami on February 11, 2019 snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Hurricanes and was also the first ranked victory for the program in 17 tries.
•Miami leads the all-time series, which dates back to 2001, 21-7.