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Sad season comes to an end for Virginia Tech women
After setting a record for futility in the first half, Tech was one-and-done in the ACC women's basketball tournament for the sixth straight year.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Shooting woes have plagued the Virginia Tech women's basketball team all season.
Not surprisingly, the Hokies also had trouble putting the ball in the basket in the ACC tournament.
Fifth-seeded Miami put an end to Virginia Tech's season with a 45-39 first-round victory Thursday at the Greensboro Coliseum.
The 12th-seeded Hokies (10-20) scored just eight points in the first half, breaking the school record for the fewest points in a half. It was the second time the Hokies broke that record this season; they scored only 10 points in the first half against Hampton in December.
Tech wound up beating Hampton, but Miami (21-9) led from the opening basket.
"Where we're at as a program right now, these girls can't play much harder on defense. We need to improve on offense," said Tech second-year coach Dennis Wolff, whose team began the week ranked 337th out of 343 Division I teams in scoring offense.
The Hokies trailed 21-8 at halftime after shooting just 14.3 percent from the field (3 of 21) in the first half.
Perhaps the Hokies just aren't morning people. The game began at 11 a.m.
"I don't think it anything to do with the time," said Tech senior Alyssa Fenyn, who had 10 points and was 2 of 9 from the field. "It was just nerves in the beginning of the game."
The Hurricanes shot just 28.6 percent from the field, but Virginia Tech shot only 26.9 percent.
"I'm not happy that that was televised," Miami coach Katie Meier said with a laugh. "It wasn't the prettiest of basketball games."
It was the 11th time this season that Tech shot worse than 30 percent and the seventh time Tech couldn't score 40 points.
The Hurricanes beat Tech for the second time this week and for the third time this season.
"They already know everything about you, so they were cutting off all our passing lanes," Tech forward Uju Ugoka said.
The Hokies had no offensive rebounds in the first half. The Hurricanes outrebounded Tech 45-30 in the game.
"They're bigger, so I tried to go around to get a rebound. There's no way," Ugoka said.
At halftime, Wolff told his team to relax.
Trailing 27-14, the Hokies went on a 13-3 run to cut the lead to 30-27 with 6:04 to go.
"You could get to this point, playing an 11 o'clock game as the 12th seed, and lay down. We did anything but that," Wolff said.
"I loved our defense in the first half, but there was a part of me that was saying, 'I hope I'm not burning their legs out,' " Meier said.
Miami senior Shawnice Wilson, a 6-foot-6 center, had a basket and free throw to extend the lead to 33-27.
Fenyn sank two free throws to cut the deficit to 33-29, but Wilson answered with another basket. Wilson had 17 points.
Ugoka, who had 10 of her 11 points in the second half, scored to cut the lead to 35-31.
"The first half I was kind of rushing [shots], I was so excited," Ugoka said. "I had to slow down."
Tech's Lauren Evans missed a 3-pointer and Fenyn missed a jumper in the lane.
With the shot clock winding down, Miami senior Stefanie Yderstrom sank her only 3-pointer of the game to give her team a 38-31 cushion with 2:15 to go.
"That was the dagger," Wolff said.
Miami shot just 25 percent from the field in the second half.
"Virginia Tech [has] just a heck of a commitment to taking away anything that gets you in your flow," Meier said.
Tech went one-and-done in the ACC tournament for the sixth straight year.
"It just didn't work out the way we all wanted it to," said Monet Tellier, who had 11 points and was 4 of 17 from the field.
Miami senior Morgan Stroman had eight points and 13 rebounds.