Rutgers women's basketball falls at home to #16 Virginia Tech
In their final nonconference matchup of the season, Rutgers women's basketball fell to #16 Virginia Tech 84-59. The Scarlet Knights (6-8, 0-1) fought hard but could not pull the upset as the Hokies (7-2, 0-0) were too strong from the perimeter.
Virginia Tech was led by their guards, as Georgia Amoore and Matilda Ekh scored 25 and 18 points. Star center Elizabeth Kitley had a relatively quiet game, with 11 points and eight rebounds, short of her season averages of 21 and 11. Kaylene Smikle led all Rutgers scorers with 22 points.
Much like their previous home matchup against #17 Indiana, the Scarlet Knights kept the game close in the opening quarter, with the score tied at 13 after ten minutes of play. Rutgers only shot 31% from the floor in the period, but Virginia Tech also struggled, shooting 28% from the floor.
The Hokies really kickstarted their offensive attack in the second quarter, catching fire from the three-point line. They shot 7-for-11 from downtown in the period and were led by Ekh, a transfer from Michigan State, who scored 14 points in the quarter alone. The perimeter blizzard helped Virginia Tech outscore the Scarlet Knights 25-11 in the second quarter, to go up 38-24 at halftime, punctuated by a 20-1 run that saw the Hokies make six threes in a span of five and a half minutes.
Rutgers was also hampered by foul trouble throughout the game, especially in the opening 20 minutes. Destiny Adams only played four minutes in the first half after picking up three fouls. Her first two came early in the first quarter after a charge and a shooting foul, then right after being subbed in during a free throw, committed a loose-ball foul and was subbed right back out. Chyna Cornwell was also whistled for three fouls, while Smikle got called for two in the opening half.
Rutgers was able to keep pace in the third quarter, as Virginia Tech started to break away but could not fully put the game out of reach. They were not as strong from the outside, only shooting 33% from beyond the arc. The Scarlet Knights were able to establish down low much better, making nine free throws to stay in the game.
The Hokies pulled away once again in the fourth quarter, making six more threes to put the game out of reach. Ekh once again was strong, putting up nine points, but Wake Forest transfer Olivia Summiel drove the offensive bus, scoring all 18 of her points in the second half, including 15 in the fourth quarter.
Aside from Smikle, Kassondra Brown had another strong performance with 15 points and six rebounds. Cornwell had nine points and a team-high 11 rebounds, while Lisa Thompson scored eight points in her eighth consecutive start in Mya Petticord's absence.
One positive was the free throw shooting, as the Scarlet Knights shot 26-for-34 from the line. A big reason why Kitley was not as effective as usual was foul trouble, as she picked up her third foul early in the third quarter and played sparingly from there.
The turnover battle was mostly even, as Rutgers turned the ball over 12 times to Virginia Tech's nine, and the Scarlet Knights won the points off turnovers battle with 11 to the Hokies' 10. Virginia Tech won the rebounding battle 45-35, including 15 offensive rebounds leading to 22 second-chance points. The Hokies also had a whopping 22 assists, to Rutgers' four.
Up next: The Scarlet Knights have a 13-day break before their next game, as they travel to Northwestern for their second Big Ten matchup on December 30th at 3:00 p.m. (ET). The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus, with radio broadcast on WRSU-FM.
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