CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Elizabeth Kitley hit a buzzer-beating shot as time expired to lead the Virginia Tech women's basketball team past the North Carolina Tar Heels 61-59 on the road Thursday.
The Hokies (23-4, 13-4) had three players score in double figures, led by Kitley, who had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kayana Traylor added 20 points and Georgia Amoore helped out with 10 points and four assists.
Led by Taylor Soule's three offensive rebounds, Virginia Tech did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 14 boards that resulted in 12 second chance points.
Kitley had one of the bigger nights in Tech history, becoming the program's career scoring leader (1,888). Celebrate this historic moment and give the Hokies a boost heading into the ACC and NCAA Tournaments by making a gift to Virginia Tech women's basketball today!
How It Happened
Virginia Tech struggled out of the gate, falling behind 16-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Virginia Tech then cut the Tar Heels lead to 25-21 before going on a 5-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Kitley, to take a 26-25 lead. The Tar Heels then came roaring back to take a 32-28 lead heading into halftime.
North Carolina continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 36-30 advantage before Virginia Tech went on a 10-0 run to grab a 40-36 lead with 3:41 to go in the third. North Carolina responded to seize a 45-42 lead entering the fourth quarter. Virginia Tech knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 14 total points.
The Hokies rallied in the game's final frame, outscoring North Carolina 19-14 and overtaking the Tar Heels for good on a Kitley jumper with 00:00 left to grab the 61-59 victory. Virginia Tech took advantage of four North Carolina turnovers in the quarter, scoring nine points off of those takeaways.
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Game Notes
» Kitley sunk a buzzer beater as time expired.
» Elizabeth Kitley notched an impressive double-double for the Hokies with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
» The Hokies rallied from a three-point 45-42 third quarter deficit to pick up the win.
» Elizabeth Kitley, Kayana Traylor, and Georgia Amoore combined to account for 84 percent of the Hokies points.
» Virginia Tech had a 41-28 edge on the boards in the win.
» Virginia Tech cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
» Elizabeth Kitley had a game-high 21 points and Kayana Traylor added 20.
» Virginia Tech got a game-high 10 rebounds from Elizabeth Kitley.