VIRGINIA TECH | 2017-18 WBB Team Guide

50 THE UNIVERSITY | STUDENT-ATHLETE SUPPORT | PLAYERS & STAFF | HISTORY & RECORDS 2017-18 BASKETBALL by converting 16 free throws for a career- high 28 points. The Hokies, however, would bow out after round two, as host Florida, ranked No. 12, won 89-57. Wetzel again led all scorers with 24 points. 1999 ■ NCAA The Hokies used the 1999 season to establish themselves as one of the nation’s elite programs. Henrickson led Tech to a school-record 28-3 finish, including a 15-1 Atlantic 10 mark. Cassell Coliseum was the site for NCAA First- and Second- Round games. The Hokies dispatched Saint Peter’s, 73-48, before defeating Auburn, 76-61, to earn the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance. Tech traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina to face second-ranked Tennessee in the NCAA East Regional. Behind 27 points from National Player of the Year Chamique Holdsclaw, the Volunteers eliminated Tech, 68-52, to advance. 2000 ■ WNIT Virginia Tech posted its third consecutive 20- win season under Henrickson. The Hokies posted a 20-11 record and made their first appearence in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Cassell Coliseum was the site of the first-round matchup against Georgia State. The Hokies used a 12-3 run midway through the second half to break open a close contest and went on to win, 80-56. Maryland was the WNIT Sweet 16 opponent two days later, and the two teams battled into overtime. The Terrapins used a 10-2 run in the last 3:11 of the extra session to eliminate the Hokies, 68-60. 1994 ■ NCAA Virginia Tech had a 24-5 record and captured the Metro Conference Tournament title to advance to the Hokies’ first NCAA Tournament. Tech was seeded eighth in the East Region and played host to Auburn in a first-round game at Cassell Coliseum. Auburn, on the strength of 24 points and 12 rebounds from Danielette Coleman, defeated the Hokies, 60-51. Tech guard Christi Osborne led the Hokies with 22 points and seven rebounds. 1995 ■ NCAA Tech kept up its success by claiming theMetro Conference regular-season championship with a 21-8 record. The Hokies, again seeded eighth in the East Region, faced St. Joseph’s in the first round at the University of Connecticut’s Gampel Pavilion. The Hokies downed the Hawks, 62-52, behind 18 points from Christi Osborne. The Hokies’ second- round opponent, UConn, ended up as the 1995 NCAA champion. Guard Jennifer Rizzotti burned the Hokies for 20 points as the Huskies advanced, 91-45. 1998 ■ NCAA With former Tech assistant coach Bonnie Henrickson back in Blacksburg as the head coach, the Hokies posted their third trip to the NCAA Tournament in five years. Tech traveled to Gainesville, Florida, as the No. 11 seed in the NCAA West Region. The Hokies, behind a record-breaking performance from guard Amy Wetzel, surprised sixth-seeded Wisconsin, which was ranked No. 23 at the time, 75-64. Wetzel set a Tech record and tied an NCAA West Region free-throw mark Chrystal Starling’s 20 points led Tech to a first-round NCAA Tournament victory over Denver in 2001. 2001 ■ NCAA Tech received an at-large bid to the NCAA Mideast Regional as a No. 7 seed. The Hokies had compiled a 21-8 record entering the tournament in their first season in the BIG EAST Conference. Tech finished fourth in the league with an 11-5 record and advanced to the tournament semifinals before being eliminated by eventual national champion Notre Dame. Tech’s fourth consecutive postseason appearance and third invitation to the NCAA Tournament in the past four seasons, began with a resounding 77-57 victory over Denver in the first round in Lubbock, Texas. Chrystal Starling led five Hokies in double figures with 20 points, as Tech shot 55.3 percent from the field. In the second round, Tech faced Texas Tech on the Lady Raiders’ home floor in front of 12,161. The Hokies played a great first half and took a 25-18 lead into the locker room at the intermission. The Lady Raiders, however, exploded in the second half, scoring 55 points to defeat the Hokies, 73-52. 2002 ■ WNIT Virginia Tech received an invitation to the WNIT, which marked the Hokies’ second venture to the tournament and their most successful to date. The Hokies compiled an 18-10 record entering theWNIT after posting a 15-2 record at one point in the season, the second-best start to a season in the program’s history. The two losses were by a total of three points. Tech’s four-game WNIT run, all in the Cassell, opened with a tight 51-45 win over UNC Greensboro. The second-round contest was a renewal of the rivalry with former A-10 opponent George Washington. Trailing 32-27 at the half, Tech played one of its best halves of the year to win, 68-52. Vermont was the Hokies’ quarterfinal opponent, with the night belonging to senior Sarah Hicks, who had 22 points, including four treys. Ieva Kublina added 13 points and nine boards as Tech won, 76-48. Tech’s run in the tournament ended in a 77-72 overtime loss to Houston in front of 5,409 Hokie faithful. Kublina erupted for a career-high 32 points, which was the fourth- highest single-game total by a Tech player. For her efforts, Kublina was named to the all-tournament team. 2003 ■ NCAA Tech made its sixth consecutive postseason appearance following a 21-9 regular season. The Hokies, who lost in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals to eventual national champion Connecticut, were seeded seventh in the East Regional in West Lafayette, Indiana. Freshman Carrie Mason hit a running layup with 1.1 seconds remaining to give Tech a 61-59 win over Georgia Tech. Ieva Kublina led the way with 18 points, followed by Chrystal Starling’s 15-point effort. In the second round, the Hokies faced No. 10 POSTSEASON APPEARANCES