February 22, 2009
Balanced scoring helps Hokies end skid
Five players score in double figures as Tech beats Wake

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech shot a season-high 65.2 percent from the field and got double-figure scoring from five players for the first time this season to defeat Wake Forest 79-55 on Sunday afternoon in ACC women’s basketball action at Cassell Coliseum.

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Tech and also avenged a 22-point loss to Wake last Sunday in Winston-Salem. The Hokies are now 12-16 overall and 2-11 in the ACC, tied with Clemson and Miami in the win column for 10th place in the league. The Demon Deacons fell to 18-8 overall and 5-7 in conference play. The 24-point advantage was the largest final margin of victory for Tech in an ACC game since beating the Deacons by 40 on Jan. 18, 2007.

The Hokies shot a season-high 65.2 percent from the field in the game – including a 6-of-12 mark from the 3-point arc – while holding Wake Forest to 33.3 percent from the field and 6-of-22 from long distance. Tech also limited Wake to just 21 rebounds, a season low for a Hokie opponent this season.

“We talked about setting the tone defensively and coming out aggressively,” Tech head coach Beth Dunkenberger said after the game. “Yes, we scored 79 points (which equaled Tech’s previous high from an ACC game this year, matching the 79 scored in a loss at Maryland) but I think that was a result of our energy on the defensive end. We took [Wake] out of what they wanted to do, and in turn, it helped us run on the offensive end. I liked our energy today, I liked how we shared the ball and found the open person, and I liked how we finished.”

The game was a totally different story from the initial matchup on Feb. 15, as Tech jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. The Hokies hit eight of their first nine shots on their way to a 29-18 halftime advantage, but they really pulled away late in the game by going on a 13-0 run to push a 15-point bulge into a game-high 28-point lead.

“Coach warned us going into last week’s game of how we had to play, and we just didn’t listen, to be honest,” Tech point guard Laura Haskins said. “We learned our lesson – that’s for sure – and we just tried to turn the tables on them this week.”

By scoring nine points, Haskins was just one point shy of becoming the sixth Hokie in double figures in this one, but she did tally six rebounds, four assists and one steal. That steal gave her 106 for her career and moved her into a tie for sixth place on Tech’s all-time list with Carrie Mason (2002-06).

Those who did tally double figures included Utahya Drye (17 points), Lindsay Biggs (14), Shanel Harrison (13), Brittany Gordon (12) and Nikki Davis (12).

Gordon tied a career high by grabbing 13 rebounds to record her second double-double in three games. Over the past four games, the 6-foot-4 sophomore is averaging 11.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per contest.

Biggs snapped out of a three-game, 9-for-36 shooting slump by hitting 5-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. The four treys gave her 130 for her career, moving her past Jeni Garber (1988-91) and into third place on Tech’s all-time list.

Davis tied a career high with five steals.

Tech must now focus its attention on Georgia Tech, which will visit Blacksburg on Thursday at 7 p.m. to conclude the regular season.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's basketball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WBBall).

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