BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women's basketball team is back on the court this Sunday, January 10 to take on the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech on the road. Tip is set for 2 p.m. on ACC Network.
The Hokies' last contest was a tightly contested battle against the second-ranked Louisville Cardinals who ultimately walked out of Cassell Coliseum with a 71-67 victory. Virginia Tech's defense held Louisville to a season low scoring and also forced 15 turnovers in the contest. Aisha Sheppard led the Hokies with 20 points.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Saturday, January 10 – 2 PM
McCamish Pavilion, Atlanta, Ga.
at Georgia Tech (5-3, 3-2)
Head Coach: Nell Fortner
Record at school: 25-14 (2nd season); Career: 187-131 (1th season)
Series: Virginia Tech trails 7-11 Last: Feb. 13, 2020 (W, 64-61 in OT)
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Broadcast: ACC Network
Play-by-Play: Sam Ravech
Analyst: Monica McNutt
Radio: Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Bryant Johnson
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING FOR
•More aggressive play on the offensive end
Thursday night the Hokies took a season-high 26 free throws in the game against Louisville, the result of aggressive moves to the basket. Guard Aisha Sheppard was responsible for 12 of those on her own, setting a career-high in the process.
On the season, the Hokies are 70% from the line, a figure they will look to improve upon in order to capitalize on the opportunities at the charity stripe.
•Exploiting the Yellow Jackets' weaknesses on the defensive end
Georgia Tech ranks amongst the worst in the conference in terms of field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot 40.5% on the season. The Hokies, are third in offensive field goal percentage at 47%, a number that jumps out as something that Brooks and Co. can look to exploit.
With the conference leader in shooting (Elizabeth Kitley at 61.8%) and with three of the top six 3-point artists in the ACC on the squad, Virginia Tech has the capabilities to score in bunches.
•The taste of victory
The Hokies, who nearly had the program's biggest win ever against Louisville have not won a contest since a December 10 ACC-opening over Pitt. Of course, over the past month, Virginia Tech has only had the opportunity to compete three times due to the holidays and scheduling complications related to COVID at other institutions.
A win over the Yellow Jackets is much-needed to get the program back to its winning ways.
Virginia Tech has not suffered a four-game skid since January of 2019.
