Syracuse women’s basketball worn out, then blown out by No. 23 Virginia Tech
No. 23 Virginia Tech crushes Syracuse at the Dome, 102-53
The drastic size difference between Syracuse players and their opponents once again proved disastrous. Virginia Tech came out firing in the first half, then ran away with the game in the second with a 49-point victory over the Orange.
Elizabeth Kitley led the way for the Hokies, scoring 24 points and shooting nearly 65% from the floor. The junior has the most 20-point games in the ACC with 11. Aisha Sheppard, Cayla King, and Kayana Traylor all finished with double-digits as well.
“That was a tough one from the start,” acting head coach Vonn Read said. “Virginia Tech is a very good basketball team. They’re ranked No. 23 for a reason.”
The two teams’ shooting was drastically different to start the game. VT shot an outstanding 75% in the first quarter, while the Orange only made 40% of their chances. The Hokies also went wild with three-point attempts early, making their first six from behind the arc.
“When they’re making shots like that, and they have that type of size advantage, it just made it tough on us,” Read said.
One positive for the Orange was a bounceback performance from Teisha Hyman. After a rough outing against Florida State on Tuesday, Hyman led Syracuse with 18 points in this one.
“Teisha is getting an opportunity to really play her first year, so she’s just trying to find herself as a player,” Read said. “She just wants to try to be more consistent.”
Chrislyn Carr was next in line with 14 points. Chrissy Carr provided some help with seven rebounds (six defensive) before things really got out of hand.
Syracuse wore special pink jerseys for Play4Kay night. Kay Yow, a former head coach for NC State’s WBB team, lost her life to breast cancer in 2009. Teams across the country dedicate a game to recognize and support women’s battles against all forms of cancer.
The Orange have three games left in the regular season: They’ll play at NC State on Sunday, and at Wake Forest next Thursday before returning to the Dome to host Boston College in the regular season finale on Feb. 27.
is a broadcast and digital journalism major from Scranton, Penn., and contributor for The NewsHouse.
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