roanoke times
The Virginia Tech women's basketball team left Syracuse on Sunday with its first road win of the season against a superior opponent.
Georgia Amoore scored 29 points to lead the 19th-ranked Hokies to a 75-62 victory over the 22nd-ranked Orange.
The Hokies (16-4, 7-2 ACC) are 2-3 against top-ranked opponents this season, including a 1-2 record at rival arenas.
Syracuse (17-3, 7-2) had its winning streak stopped at six.
Virginia Tech has won four straight against Syracuse.
Tech won despite center Elizabeth Kitley being held to six points. She was one of only three out of 13 participants. It was the first time she didn't score in double figures since the 2023 ACC Tournament semifinal victory over Duke by eight points. The three baskets were the lowest total since last January when they were held to one basket in a loss at Duke.
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Kitley entered the game averaging 22.7 points, including 27.6 points per game in January. Last week, she was named one of 10 finalists for the Lisa Leslie Award, given to the nation's top center.
Kitley had nine rebounds Sunday. Kaiti played 32 minutes after running into foul trouble in the second half.
Tech led 23-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Hokies led the rest of the way, shooting 56.3% from the field in the quarter.
Amoor had an explosive performance, scoring 13 points and making three 3-pointers, but he picked up his second foul with 1:23 left in the first quarter and was benched. She didn't return until the final seconds of the first half.
Minus-Amoor Technical College cut the lead to 36-32 by halftime. Syracuse shot 55.6% from the field in the second quarter, compared to 26.7% for Tech.
Amoore made 10 of 17 field goals in 29 minutes. Last week, she was named one of 10 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation's top point guard.
For Tech, Matilda Ek had 14 points and four 3-pointers, and Kayla King had 13 points and four 3-pointers.
The Hokies made 12 3-pointers compared to Syracuse's five.
Olivia Sumiel grabbed 12 rebounds for the Tech team, which outscored the Orange 47-39.
The Orange cut the lead to 36-35 early in the third quarter, but Tech responded with a 7-0 run to make it 43-35 with 5:01 left in the third. Ek started off with a 3-point shot.
Tech entered the fourth with a 55-47 lead.
The Orange cut the lead to 62-57 with 4:46 left, but King sank a 3-pointer and Kitley scored to extend the lead to 67-57 with 2:08 left.
Syracuse's Daiisha Fair and Georgia Woolley each scored 16 points but shot just 33.3 percent from the field.
mark berman (540) 981-3125
mark.berman@roanoke.com