BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Elizabeth Kitley scored a 31 points to lead No. 9 Virginia Tech to a 72-51 victory over UNC Greensboro on Monday.
Kitley connected on 13 of 22 from the floor and grabbed 10 rebounds to lift the Hokies (3-1) to their second consecutive win.
Jayde Gamble scored a career-high 25 points to pace UNC Greensboro (3-2), which saw its three-game winning streak end. Gamble connected on 12 of 19 from the floor.
The Hokies led just 17-16 after the first quarter, but held the Spartans to just four field goals in the second quarter. A 17-4 run in which Kitley scored 10 points enabled the Hokies to open a 14-point lead and they were never threatened again. Kitley scored 18 of her team’s 39 first-half points.
Georgia Amoore added nine points and eight assists for the Hokies, who shot 46.8% (29 of 62). Matilda Ekh scored nine as well.
TAKEAWAYS
UNC Greensboro: The Spartans, who were picked to finished sixth in the Southern Conference in the league’s preseason poll, made things difficult for the Hokies for a while. They have a deep bench, a lot of athleticism and could be a tough out once conference play starts.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies struggled early and this wasn’t their most impressive performance, but they turned it on in the second half, shooting 50% and running away behind Kitley. The two-time All-American was one field goal and three points short of the Cassell Coliseum women’s records in both categories.
UP NEXT
UNC Greensboro: Hosts Montreat on Wednesday.
Virginia Tech: Plays Kansas in George Town, Cayman Islands, on Friday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
