For the first time ever, Virginia Tech is going to the women’s Final Four.
The top-seeded Hokies got 25 points from Elizabeth Kitley and 24 points from Georgia Amoore as they defeated third-seeded Ohio State 84-74 on Monday night to win the Seattle 3 Region.
The Hokies (31-4) have won 15 straight games. They will face third-seeded LSU — the winner of the Greenville 2 Region — on Friday in Dallas.
Ohio State (28-8) was seeking its first Final Four appearance since 1993.
Kitley, the two-time Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, shot 9 of 14 from the floor and also had a game-high 12 rebounds. Taylor Soule and Cayla King each chipped in 12 points. Amoore, who also had four rebounds, has scored at least 20 points in six straight games.
The Buckeyes were powered by 25 points from Taylor Mikesell, 19 from Jacy Sheldon and 18 from Cotie McMahon. McMahon also had a team-high seven rebounds.
Ohio State led by as much as five points early in the second quarter, but Virginia Tech then proceeded to outscore the Buckeyes 12-4 to take a 48-45 lead into halftime. Soule had nine points in the second, shooting 3-for-3 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.
Virginia Tech extended its lead to 13 points in the fourth quarter after opening the final period with a 10-5 run. Kitley had seven points during that stretch, including a three-point play.
The Buckeyes cut the deficit to six points with 44 seconds to go on a 3-pointer from Mikesell — her seventh of the game, matching a season high — but never got any closer to tying it.
Virginia Tech knocked down 24 of 28 free-throw attempts and won the rebounding battle 32-24.
With the Hokies advancing, the Final Four is completely set. Virginia Tech and LSU will be joined by No. 1 South Carolina and No. 2 Iowa in Dallas.
–Field Level Media
