Virginia Tech, playing without three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, and getting only nine points from Georgia Amoore, still cruised to a 92-49 first-round NCAA Tournament win over Marshall on Friday.
The Hokies (25-7) led 13-0 four minutes in, extended the lead to 17 at halftime, and put any sliver of doubt away with a dominating third quarter, in which Tech outscored Marshall (26-7) by a 36-9 count.
Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks announced on the eve of the tournament that Kitley, who was injured in the Hokies’ regular-season finale loss at Virginia on March 3, was out for the season with a torn ACL.
Clara Strack, starting in place of Kitley, had 17 points, making all seven of her shots from the field.
Matilda Ekh had a game-high 21 points, and was 5-of-7 from three, for the Hokies.
Amoore, her time limited by early foul trouble, had just nine points and four assists in 20 minutes.
The Hokies shot 53.8 percent, but what stood out even more was their work on the defensive end, holding Marshall to 24.4 percent shooting, including a 6-of-41 mark from three-point range.
“They want the game with fouls and turnovers. It’s their chaos, and we wanted to be poised,” said Brooks, a Waynesboro native. “I thought we won out on that, and I think that’s why we were able to come out with a great win. I’m so proud of these kids and what they did. I just want to go back in there and give them a hug.”
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Chris Graham
