Opponent preview: What to know about 17-4 Virginia Tech
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In the opening quarter of Syracuse’s game against Louisville, three of its starters suffered injuries.
First, Dyaisha Fair walked off the court after diving for a loose ball, unable to put weight on her left ankle. Then, Alaina Rice, who had a career-high 18 points against Virginia in a 92-70 win, collided mid-air with Louisville’s Mykasa Robinson before falling to the floor, clutching her head.
And, despite walking over to the bench discreetly, Teisha Hyman was in visible discomfort as head coach Felisha Legette-Jack motioned for freshman Kennedi Perkins to take her spot. Hyman wore her warm-up clothes and watched from the sideline for the rest of the contest.
Fair had returned from the locker room to start the second quarter, making an immediate impact before finishing with 19. Georgia Woolley put up 15 shots, shooting a game-high seven free throws en route to a 20-point performance.
However, the Cardinals pulled away in the third quarter before cementing their lead in the fourth, outscoring the Orange in the paint 38-22. SU’s 21 turnovers translated into 27 points for the opposition.
On Thursday, Syracuse travels to Blacksburg to take on No. 13 Virginia Tech. The Hokies are coming off of a win against interstate rival UVA, but suffered their fourth loss of the season against Duke two games ago.
Here’s what to know about about the Hokies (17-4, 7-4 Atlantic Coast):
All-time series
The all-time series is tied, 8-8.
Last time they played
Virginia Tech beat Syracuse 102-53 last year to hand the Orange their 11th ACC loss of the campaign. The 49-point loss was a part of a six-game losing streak for SU to end the season.
From the jump, the Hokies dominated, getting out to a comfortable 30-16 lead. The Orange never really recovered, and in the fourth, Syracuse lost the little momentum it had, mustering just five points in the final ten minutes.
Teisha Hyman scored 18 points to record her 14th-straight game in double figures, while Chrislyn Carr added 14 points and seven rebounds. Elizabeth Kitley led the way for Virginia Tech, helping it to its 12th ACC win of the season, which marked a program best since joining the conference.
The Hokie Report
Virginia Tech is patient, loves to swing the ball and thrives under experienced leadership.
The Hokies are able to find an open look through a slew of drive and kicks, perimeter passing and going inside-out. On the defensive end, VT opts to play in a man-to-man set up. Cayla King usually guards the opposing point guard and will force her to either side once she crosses the timeline. From there, the Virginia Tech defense will follow suit, hoping to force traps in the corners and prevent drives to the middle with its suffocating defense.
Offensively, the Hokies are solid in transition, but enjoy half-court sets much more. Sometimes, pin-down screens will be drawn up to get King free as the guard is capable of shooting anywhere from the perimeter. When VT isn’t looking for outside looks, they look inside to the ACC Player of the Year in 2021-22 — Elizabeth Kitley. At 6-foot-6, few can stop Kitley from scoring off of a post-move or prevent an offensive rebound.
How Syracuse beats Virginia Tech
Although Dariauna Lewis has consistently impressed this season and Saniaa Wilson has produced efficient numbers in two starts, Syracuse will, more likely than not, lose the battle down low. Kitley is simply that unguardable.
The Orange will have Fair, Rice and Hyman all available, but will miss Asia Strong, who’s served as a boost off the bench as of late. Much of Fair’s scoring will likely come from the outside with Kitley in the middle.
It’ll be interesting to see whether or not Legette-Jack will give Perkins opportunities. The freshman guard was able to keep a scrambling SU squad together, for the most part, when Hyman went down, despite committing four turnovers. If Syracuse wants to win this game, they’ll have to limit Kitley and make sure their guards flourish offensively.
Stat to know: 8.9
With Kitley down low, not only does Syracuse has to find good looks and convert from the mid-range and beyond, while also scoring during the first trip down the floor.
In the past, Syracuse has relied on its average of 15 offensive rebounds per game, good enough for 20th best in the country, per HerHoopStats. The Hokies, however, allow just 8.9 offensive rebounds per game.
Player to watch: Elizabeth Kitley, Center, No. 33
Coming off a season where she became Virginia Tech’s first-ever ACC Player of the Year, Kitley is averaging just shy of 18 points per game while shooting 55.3% from the floor. The center also produces 11 rebounds a game and will prove a handful for both Lewis and Wilson, especially with Syracuse short in the frontcourt department.
Defensively, Kitley puts up over two blocks a game to rank 24th in the country. Her game-high of six during VT’s nonconference matchup against Mount St. Mary’s demonstrated her dual-threat ability.
