Kitley, Amoore lead No. 11 Virginia Tech women past NC State
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Roommates Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore both had double-doubles and No. 11 Virginia Tech won its fifth straight, defeating North Carolina State 75-62 on Sunday.
Kitley had 24 points and 10 rebounds for her 50th career double-double and had seven blocks. Amoore had 15 points and 11 assists, which tied her career high.
Virginia Tech has won six straight, the previous three against ranked teams, starting with a 73-61 win over the Wolfpack. That marked the Hokies' first-ever win in Raleigh and now they have their first-ever sweep of NC State.
D'asia Gregg matched her career-high with 13 points for the Hokies (22-4, 12-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) and Taylor Soule had 12. Before a season-high crowd of 6,413. They have road games remaining at North Carolina on Thursday and Georgia Tech on Sunday.
Soule was 6-of-8 shooting and Gregg 5-of-6 as Virginia Tech shot 56% (31 of 55). Gregg made half of the Hokies' six 3s.
Aziaha James scored a career-high 20 points in her first start for the Wolfpack (18-9, 8-8), who are out of the poll for the first time in 96 weeks dating to February of 2018. James started for leading scorer Diamond Johnson, who has been battling an ankle injury and missed the game. Mimi Collins added 12 points.
James hit a pair of 3-pointers to close the first quarter with the Wolfpack on top 19-18.
Amoore had back-to-back buckets in a 10-0 to put the Hokies on top 31-25 in the middle of the second quarter and Kitley scored five quick points, among her 11 in the quarter, as Virginia Tech pushed the lead to 11. It was 47-36 at the half.
After North Carolina State opened the second half with a 3-pointer, the Hokies reeled off 12 straight, five by Kitley, for a 59-39 lead. It was 60-47 enter the fourth quarter after River Baldwin hit her first 3 of the season for the Wolfpack just before the buzzer.
Six NC State points early in the fourth quarter made it a nine-point game but that was as close as the Wolfpack, who play at No. 9 Duke on Wednesday, could get.
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