3304 Sports Work

3304 Sports • 11th November 2023

No. 8 Virginia Tech taking away lessons, experience in loss to No. 3 Iowa

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three years ago, Virginia Tech finished its season with a 15-10 record.

That year, Tech’s goal was simple: get a first round bye in the ACC tournament.

It did that, in part thanks to three rising stars: freshman Georgia Amoore, and sophomores Cayla King and Elizabeth Kitley.

The Hokies weren’t a lock to get into the NCAA tournament that year, but received a 10-seed and snagged an opening round win over Marquette before getting trounced by Baylor. At the time, it was a season

3304 Sports • 6th November 2023

Pry's young Tech team shows promise despite loss to No. 13 Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A little over a month ago, Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry’s team was 1-3, reeling off of a disappointing 24-17 loss at Marshall.

Then, the Hokies got hot.

With an expected blip against the ACC’s top team No. 5 Florida State, Tech cruised by Pitt (38-21), Wake Forest (30-13) and Syracuse (38-10) to even its record to 4-4 heading into November.

Suddenly, the Tech team that was seemingly left for dead a month earlier found itself sitting in third place in the ACC and in con

3304 Sports • 10th March 2023

Scheyer's young Duke squad showing maturity, poise in ACC Tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Duke and postseason basketball are synonymous in the world of college basketball — but for many of the Blue Devils’ core players this season, it's new territory.

Led by first-year head coach Jon Scheyer, Duke finished fourth in the ACC this season with a 23-8 record. The Blue Devils collected 14 conference wins, including four on the road.

It’s been a somewhat typical season for Duke — what’s different this year is the amount of youth that’s helped make that happen.

With th

3304 Sports • 8th March 2023

NC State sprints past Virginia Tech in second round of ACC Tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Sometimes it’s just not your night — for Virginia Tech, that would be an understatement.

Everything seemed to go right for NC State in the Wolfpack’s 97-77 bouldering of the Hokies Wednesday night in the second round of the ACC Tournament.

“[We] had a game last year in Charlotte against a really, really good A-10 team, St. Bonaventure and everything we threw in the air went in the basket,” Tech head coach Mike Young said to reporters. “[Tonight] was reminiscent of that. I ta

3304 Sports • 7th March 2023

Virginia Tech survives Notre Dame in first round of ACC tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. — It wasn’t pretty by any means, but Virginia Tech got it done.

In a season of high highs and low lows for Mike Young’s team, the Hokies narrow 67-64 win on Tuesday night in the first round of the ACC Tournament couldn’t have been more fitting.

Despite four lead changes in the final minute of the game, Virginia Tech rallied to sink its final four shots and live to see another day in Greensboro.

“I think this is what you play for, moments like that,” senior forward Justyn Mutt

3304 Sports • 4th March 2023

Virginia Tech keeps building, routs Duke in ACC semifinal

GREENSBORO, N.C. — If you build it, they will come.

For Kenny Brooks and Virginia Tech, the reverse strategy worked just as well. The Hokies head coach convinced high-level recruits to buy into the program’s vision — and over the last three years they’ve worked together to fulfill it.

VT’s 58-37 beatdown of Duke Saturday afternoon to advance to the ACC championship for the first time in program history was another stepping stone in the Hokies quest to reach their ultimate goal: becoming a nati

3304 Sports • 3rd March 2023

Virginia Tech's experience shines in beatdown of Miami in ACC quarterfinal

GREENSBORO, NC — Maturity and experience are things you can’t teach — they have to be earned.

Kenny Brooks’ team displayed both virtues in excess during Virginia Tech’s (25-4, 14-4 ACC) methodical 68-42 beatdown of Miami (19-12, 11-7) in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament Friday night.

“We’re extremely mature,” Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said to reporters following the win. “They do a tremendous job of policing themselves, talking about it, communicating where they need to be, and they’

3304 Sports • 8th February 2023

Boston College Completes Sweep of Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG — Backup point guard Chas Kelley III drained a three with 7:55 to go in the first half to give Boston College the Eagles their first lead since the opening minute — and BC never looked back.

Kelley’s trey was one of Boston College’s (12-13, 6-8 ACC) 12 on the night, taking down Virginia Tech (14-10, 4-9) for the second time this year on Wednesday night, 82-76. Pinpoint accuracy from deep combined with stellar play from their reserves allowed the Eagles to cruise to their sixth ACC wi

3304 Sports • 26th January 2023

No. 16 Duke Downs No. 12 Virginia Tech In Durham

DURHAM N.C. — Kenny Brooks was at a loss for words at the beginning of his postgame press conference.

Following a grueling 40 minutes at Cameron Indoor Stadium against No. 16 Duke (18-2, 8-1) in which two of his star players combined for only 11 points, he fielded questions while trying to curb his frustration.

“It was a tough night,” Brooks said to reporters postgame. “I’m just trying to choose my words carefully so that I don’t get in trouble.”

With a chance to gain ground in the race to th

3304 Sports • 12th January 2023

No. 13 Hokies Take Down Louisville For First Time Since 1995, 81-79

BLACKSBURG — Down one point with under three minutes to play, No. 13 Virginia Tech needed a spark.

Despite shooting just 22% from three up to that point in the game, the Hokies kept putting up shots from deep — and it paid off.

Following a huge trey from Kayana Traylor to cut VT’’s deficit to a single point, Georgia Amoore sank another shot from downtown a possession later to give Tech a lead it never surrendered for the rest of the game.

Different playmakers stepped up when called upon for V

3304 Sports • 1st December 2022

Amoore's triple-double pushes No. 9 Virginia Tech over Nebraska, 85-54

BLACKSBURG — It would’ve been easy for Georgia Amoore to lose confidence after a rough week of shooting during practice.

She could’ve taken a back seat on offense to try and find her shot again.

Instead, the Australian native made history, earning the program’s first ever triple-double en route to No. 9 Virginia Tech’s dominant win over Nebraska, 85-54.

“Obviously the night belonged to Georgia,” Tech head coach Kenny Brooks told reporters after the game. “She came out here today and she was p

3304 Sports • 12th November 2022

Virginia Tech loses seventh-straight game in underwhelming performance agai

DURHAM, N.C. — Following the program’s seventh-straight loss with no bowl game to work towards, it’s easy to wonder how first-year head coach Brent Pry keeps his players engaged heading into the final two weeks of the season.

“This thing is about respect,” Pry told reporters after the game. “There’s no bowl game in our future, so for this group, for this team it’s about earning respect and tasting victory.”

In Virginia Tech’s (2-8, 1-6 Atlantic Coast) underwhelming 24-7 loss to Duke (7-3, 4-2

3304 Sports • 7th November 2022

No. 13 Virginia Tech cruises in season opener with King's record night

Head coach Kenny Brooks has offered opposing team’s this choice for as long as he’s had elite talent on his roster. Last night, the Mountaineers picked Cayla King.

Behind King’s record-breaking night from behind the arc, No. 13 Virginia Tech coasted in its season opener against Mount St. Mary’s, 101-45.

“If you want to go in and triple-team Liz [Kitley] and you want to leave Cayla King open, then that’s choosing your poison and it’s not very smart,” Brooks said to reporters after the game.

Ki

3304 Sports • 5th November 2022

Hokies collapse again in 28-27 loss to Georgia Tech

BLACKSBURG — Midway through the second quarter, Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells scrambled out of the pocket and absorbed a hit so hard from Georgia Tech’s Charlie Thomas his mouthpiece went flying across Worsham field.

Designed runs for Wells were efficient all day for the Hokies, but Thomas’ shot was a poetic representation of the last two weeks — just when things start to look up for Brent Pry’s squad, it gets popped in the mouth.

This week’s meltdown came against a Georgia Tech (4-5,

3304 Sports • 1st October 2022

Virginia Tech gets stomped by Tar Heels, 41-10

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Sounding drained, Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry maintained his belief to the media that his team is close to where it wants to be, despite losing its second-straight game in blowout fashion.

The Hokies (2-3, 1-1 ACC) followed up last week’s Thursday-night loss to West Virginia with an even more lopsided defeat to North Carolina (4-1, 1-0 ACC), 41-10, Saturday evening.

“I told [the team] we’re closer than they realize,” Pry said after the game. “I’m watching it, and the

3304 Sports • 17th September 2022

Virginia Tech cleans up loose ends in 27-7 beatdown of Wofford

BLACKSBURG — Improvement. That’s what head coach Brent Pry wanted to see from his entire team going into Saturday’s contest against Wofford.

Playing arguably its best game on both sides of the ball this season, Virginia Tech (2-1) took down the Terriers (0-3) in dominant fashion, 27-7.

“I thought we were able to move the ball and stay on schedule, and that was certainly a point of contention,” Pry said after the game.

Playing an FCS squad at home certainly didn’t hurt the offense, which has s

3304 Sports • 10th September 2022

Virginia Tech bounces back against Boston College in home opener, 27-10

BLACKSBURG — The ability to bounce back is what makes or breaks a team. Whether a team bends or breaks when the pressure is on determines how much adversity it will be able to overcome.

In Saturday night’s 27-10 victory over Boston College, Brent Pry’s squad proved it won’t let past mistakes affect the team’s future.

“It just feels good to be 1-0,” Pry said following the victory, his first as Virginia Tech head coach in his Lane Stadium debut.

The Hokies wanted to put last Friday’s 20-17 upse

3304 Sports • 2nd September 2022

Pry, Virginia Tech stunned by Old Dominion in last-minute, 20-17 loss

NORFOLK, Va. — Tucked away in a small corner of Kornblau field, head coach Brent Pry was ambushed with cameras and microphones following Virginia Tech’s last-minute, 20-17 loss to Old Dominion Friday night.

Pry — typically upbeat and positive — appeared stunned, his voice hoarse, when explaining what went wrong in his team’s upset loss.

“I am surprised,” Pry started. “We were sloppy… [Our players] wanted to make plays, they wanted to play hard, but I definitely think they were pressed and play

3304 Sports • 18th March 2022

Five-seeded Virginia Tech bounced by No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast in first rou

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Aisha Sheppard heaved up a 3-point attempt from the right wing to cut five-seeded Virginia Tech’s deficit to one possession with seven seconds to play, but the try found nothing but air.

The missed shot — her last in a Hokie uniform — closed the door on a last-second comeback attempt from the Hokies (23-10) and cemented an opening weekend loss in the NCAA tournament for the second-straight year, as Florida Gulf Coast (30-2) beat Tech, 84-81, in College Park.

“None of this h

3304 Sports • 5th March 2022

Virginia Tech stumbles late against N.C. State in ACC Semifinals, 70-55

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Duke and postseason basketball are synonymous in the world of college sports — but for many of the Blue Devils’ core players this season, it's new territory.

Led by first-year head coach Jon Scheyer, Duke finished fourth in the ACC this season with a 23-8 record. The Blue Devils collected 14 conference wins, including four on the road.

It’s been a somewhat typical season for Duke — what’s different this year is the amount of youth that’s helped make that happen.

With the on

3304 Sports • 4th March 2022

Physical play, bench production push Hokies to semifinals for first time

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Two and a half minutes remained in overtime when D’asia Gregg was tripped and slammed to the floor while driving to the rim for a potential go-ahead bucket against No. 16 North Carolina.

Gregg, who logged a season-high 32 minutes against the Tar Heels, rolled onto her stomach in pain before working up to her feet.

After sinking the first shot of her one-and-one, Gregg missed off the back of the rim, and the ball bounced into a cloud of white UNC jerseys.

Emily Lytle emerged

3304 Sports • 11th February 2022

Virginia Tech edges out No. 11 Georgia Tech for third-straight ACC win, 73-

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech (18-6, 10-3 Atlantic Coast) picked up a huge ranked win over No. 11 Georgia Tech (18-6, 9-4 Atlantic Coast) at home Thursday night, 73-63, but don’t be so quick to call it an upset.

“We didn’t feel like it was an upset,” head coach Kenny Brooks said after the game. “We don’t feel that way. And it’s not being overconfident, we just know what type of team we are.”

The win is Virginia Tech’s third in five days in their eighth game in 23 days.

“I’ve been proud of [the t

3304 Sports • 9th February 2022

Sheppard and Baines lead way in Virginia Tech’s rout of Clemson, 73-42

BLACKSBURG — A combination of homegrown talent and offseason additions can make for a lethal squad in any sport.

Building a strong foundation and patching holes with additions from the transfer portal is how Kenny Brooks’ squad has found success, a philosophy that mirrors those of other prosperous teams, including the Super Bowl-bound Los Angeles Rams.

“Cooper Kupp. Aaron Donald. [They’re] the cornerstone of their team and then they added some great players,” Brooks said. “Well, we’ve got Aish

3304 Sports • 8th February 2022

Virginia Tech wipes slate clean with win over Boston College, 85-62

BLACKSBURG — Elizabeth Kitley knocked down a free throw following her second-straight and-one with 5:35 left in the fourth quarter to extend Virginia Tech’s lead to 21.

Kitley’s explosion in the middle of the fourth quarter pushed her to a game-high 27 points and slammed the door on a potential Boston College comeback, as Virginia Tech (16-6, 8-3 Atlantic Coast) romped the Eagles (15-8, 6-6 Atlantic Coast), 85-62. The win came on the heels of a crushing road loss to No. 20 Notre Dame, 68-55.

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