Hokies on to the next one, WNIT quarterfinals at Michigan

Tech faces Wolverines Saturday at 2 p.m.

March 24, 2017

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Virginia Tech women's basketball team keeps its run going in the 2017 WNIT, advancing to the quarterfinals with a trip to Michigan for a 2 p.m. game on Saturday, March 25 at Crisler Arena.

GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: March 25, 2017 / 2 p.m.
Opponent: Michigan
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Radio: 100.7 FM WNMX / HokiesXtra
Talent: Andrew Allegretta, play-by-play
Live Stats: MGoBlue.com
Live Video: BTN2Go - $$
Game Notes: Virginia Tech | Michigan

THE HOKIES (20-13, 4-12 ACC)
Virginia Tech defeated Penn State in the third round of the 2017 WNIT. Chanette Hicks tallied 13 points, six assists and five steals. Vanessa Panousis and Samantha Hill each added 12 points. Sidney Cook and Kendyl Brooks chipped in 11 each. Regan Magarity led on the boards with eight rebounds and posted two blocks.

The Hokies recorded 20 wins in a season for the first time since 2005-06. Tech also set a single-season team record (2,343) for most points scored, breaking a mark that has been on the books more than 30 years. The previous tally of 2,293 was set in the 1983-84 season.

Tech and Penn State traded baskets early in the opening quarter with the Hokies leading by five after back-to-back 3-pointers from Panousis. The Lady Lions drained a 3-pointer of their own, but that was the last bucket for Penn State for the next nine minutes as Tech went on a 20-0 run. Penn State hit just one field goal in the second quarter as the Hokies took a 37-17 lead into the break. Virginia Tech took its largest lead of the game coming out of the intermission off a layup from Cook, but Penn State answered with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit down to 15. Tech kept its advantage, but the Lady Lions used an 11-2 run late in the frame to close it to single-digits. Hill drained a 3-pointer in the final seconds to give Tech a 49-37 advantage heading into the final 10. Brooks hit a long-range basket to open the fourth, but the Lady Lions answered with one on their end. Tech pushed its lead back to 16 just shy of midway. The Hokies maintained a double-digit advantage until the final 62 seconds when Penn State hit a 3-pointer, cutting it to 62-53. Hicks drained a pair of free throws in the final minute to help the Hokies seal the win.

Hicks leads the Hokies, averaging 16.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.6 steals per game. Magarity is averaging 13.6 ppg and 9.6 rebounds per game. Cook is posting 13.0 ppg and 8.2 rpg while Hill is adding 10.5 ppg.

THE WOLVERINES (25-9, 11-5 Big Ten)
Michigan knocked off St. John’s 60-40 to advance to the next round of the WNIT. Hallie Thome had 19 points, six rebounds for the Wolverines. Katelynn Flaherty added 17 points and handed out four assists. Kayla Robbins led on the boards with seven rebounds.

The teams kept it close in the opening half and St. John’s led 30-29 at halftime. Defense was the key in the second half as Michigan stepped it up, limiting the Red Storm to just 10 points after the break. The Michigan offense was sparked early in the third with a 13-6 run to open the frame.

Flaherty leads the Wolverines on the season with 19.8 points per game, having knocked down 96 baskets from outside the arc. Thome is adding 15.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Siera Thompson is handing out 4.7 assists per game and Jillian Dunston is grabbing 7.5 rpg.

THE SERIES
This is the third meeting between the Hokies and Wolverines. Michigan leads the series 2-0.

The two teams have not met since Dec. 3, 2009 when Michigan won 71-51 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Blacksburg. This is the first time the two teams have played in Ann Arbor. The other game was a 79-63 win for the Wolverines in Honolulu, Hawaii on Nov. 29, 1996.

Up Next: With a win, the Hokies would advance to face the winner of Indiana/Villanova in the Final Four. Date and time are TBD.

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