Hokies' dream season ends with heartbreak loss
The No.5 Baylor Bears took down the No.4 Virginia Tech Hokies in the round of 32 with a 75-72 nail biting victory. This marked the Hokies first loss inside Cassell Coliseum since December 17, 2022, in a loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
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The tight-knit, back and forth game was won by Baylor thanks to a 28 point performance from junior guard Jada Walker. Walker, who averaged 8.2 points per game during the regular season, scored her 28 on 9-16 shooting from the field, and 9-10 from the line. Even with Walker ending the night 9-10 from the line, Baylor started cold from the free throw line as a team however, going 4-10 in the first half. The struggles from the line kept Virginia Tech in the game as they were having early offensive struggles themselves, going 2-16 from three in the first half.
The three ball quickly woke up for the Hokies thanks to Michigan State transfer Matilda Ekh who nailed three in the third quarter. The Sweden native ended her night with 19 points, going 4-8 from beyond the arc.
While this game ended with a three point differential in Baylor’s favor, Virginia Tech only led for 17 seconds in this entire game. The Hokies would manage to crawl right up on the Bears multiple times throughout the night, but could never pull away with that lead that they were seeking all game. The reason for that struggle was the strong defense contest of the Bears, specifically on the perimeter. Besides Ekh going 4-8, the rest of the Hokies roster combined shooting 5-20 from three. This prominent defense was marqueed on the last play of the game where the Hokies inbounded the ball with 1.3 seconds left and couldn’t even get a shot up to possibly send it to overtime.
As this loss marks the end of the season for the Virginia Tech Hokies, a lot of “what ifs” swirl around Blacksburg. The main one being what if Elizabeth Kitley never tore her ACL in the last game of the regular season. Would the Hokies be bound to another Final Four run? Coach Kenny Brooks had something to say about the “what ifs” towards the end of the season. “I know injuries were a part of it, but I promise you if it weren't for Liz going down, we were poised to go on another run.”
While the loss is going to sting Hokie Faithful for a long while, this game also showed promise for the future of Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball with freshman Clara Strack leading the way. In the round of 64 against No.13 Marshall, the 6 '5 freshman got her first start in her college career and finished with 17 points and 5 rebounds, while shooting a perfect 7-7 from the field. Last night, Strack earned her first career double double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, as well as shooting 6-7 from the free throw line. Strack was almost going to be redshirted this season, but Kenny Brooks couldn’t because “She’s just too good.”
As the “what if” questions will continue to linger, more questions about the offseason in general linger as well, with the two headline questions being will Georgia Amoore return for a fifth year and is Kenny Brooks still going to be the coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies? While everyone will have to wait until a true answer is announced, Kenny Brooks spoke in his post game press conference as if his future was still focused solely on Virginia Tech. “Tonight I’ll be recruiting in the portal, and you have to try to make sure you’re managing your roster.”
Even if it is the end for Kenny Brooks in Blacksburg, he had nothing but positivity for his kids, and the legacy that they left for Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball. “I will remember this group, they’re like my daughters, and as Georgia said, we’re connected for life… This was the most amazing stretch of my coaching career.”
Baylor will go on to face the winner of No.1 USC vs No.8 Kansas in Portland, Oregon in the Sweet Sixteen.