Virginia Tech keeps rolling in March Madness, tops Tennessee

SEATTLE (AP) — Throughout this historic year for Virginia Tech, coach Kenny Brooks has repeated the perception that Elizabeth Kitley is the most effective participant for the Hokies, but Georgia Amoore is the most significant.

It was confirmed once more Saturday with Amoore carrying Virginia Tech to a degree it’s under no circumstances arrived at ahead of in method historical past.

Amoore scored a occupation-substantial 29 factors and the leading-seeded Hokies innovative to the Elite Eight for the to start with time in university history with a 73-64 get around No. 4 seed Tennessee.

“I just want to gain. All we have to do is retain winning to get men and women to talk about us, so we’ll retain making an attempt to earn,” Amoore stated.

The Hokies (30-4) received their 14th straight match overall and advanced to a matchup with No. 3 seed Ohio State in the Seattle 3 Regional ultimate on Monday evening. Ohio Point out topped UConn in the to start with semifinal, ending the Huskies’ streak of 14 straight Last 4 appearances.

Amoore and the Hokies used a dominant stretch spanning the finish of the next quarter and starting of the 3rd that constructed ample of a cushion to keep off Tennessee’s valiant rally around the ultimate 12 minutes.

Amoore attempted 19 3-pointers in the Hokies’ second-round acquire, but shot only 14 this time all around.

“She’s only executing now what we see all the time. When the young ones have to go out and guard her, they truly tighten up their shoestrings mainly because they know that there is a little something that can happen,” Brooks explained. “But she’s phenomenal. She’s as excellent as any person in the place, in my opinion. She’s taking part in with the utmost self-assurance and she’s been taking part in like this ever given that we definitely started out this stretch.”

Kayana Traylor added 14 factors and Kitley scored 12 details inspite of sitting down a major chunk of the initial half with foul hassle. The ACC Tournament champions experienced arrived at the Sweet 16 only once previously in university record and are now just one earn absent from the Final 4.

“I’m just so joyful that I landed at such an incredible spot where by we did just what we required to,” Kitley reported. “And it has not been quick and it’s taken coach Brooks a couple yrs, but what he’s performed with the method and the volume of time is amazing.”

Jordan Horston led Tennessee (25-12) with 17 factors. Rickea Jackson scored 15 and Jordan Walker extra 12.

The Woman Vols attained the regional semifinals for the second straight period, but haven’t been to the Elite Eight due to the fact 2016. And it was their offense that was so amazing in the initially two rounds that disappeared in opposition to the Hokies.

“I felt like we have been locked in and centered in advance of the game. We experienced excellent power in warmup, so absolutely nothing with that. But we just ended up a minor stagnant on the offensive conclusion,” Walker reported.

The Lady Vols scored 95 details in their 1st-spherical win over Saint Louis and followed up with 94 in an remarkable blowout of Toledo. But Tennessee relied too much on perimeter shots early on, to the point mentor Kellie Harper yelled at her staff “who are we?” immediately after making an attempt their 12th 3-pointer of the to start with fifty percent.

Tennessee designed just 3 of 17 tries from beyond the arc towards the Hokies soon after generating 11 of 22 in the earn over Toledo.

“They did a great job with our initially attack and we bought truly impatient,” Harper mentioned. “I believed we ended up truly stagnant offensively, and consequently we were settling. We took way far too quite a few threes for us in the 1st 50 percent.”

The Hokies shut the first half with a prosper, scoring the remaining eight factors to acquire a 35-22 lead at the split. Amoore begun the 2nd 50 percent with her fourth 3-pointer of the game and Kitley scored on the interior and promptly a five-issue video game ballooned to a 40-22 Virginia Tech direct.

Tennessee trimmed the deficit to nine by the close of the third quarter and its surge continued into the fourth quarter. The Girl Vols capped the 19-4 operate with Jasmine Powell’s 3-pointer with 6:05 still left and pulled with 53-52.

But turnovers and fouls commenced to mount and for the Girl Vols and Virginia Tech pushed its direct back again to 11 on Amoore’s jumper with 2:10 remaining.

“It was a challenge. I’m glad we pulled away from it,” Amoore mentioned. “It’s what we’re going to see with Ohio State with their push. Happy we acquired a small flavor of it now. Now we know.”

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