SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Georgia Amoore scored 29 points, including six free throws in the last 72 seconds, and No. 19 Virginia Tech overcame an off game by All-American Elizabeth Kitley to defeat No. 22 Syracuse 75-62 on Sunday.
Kitley, averaging 22.7 points, was 3 of 13 and missed both her free throws, but Amoore was 10 of 17 and Matilda Ekh and Cayla King both hit four 3-pointers.
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Kitley’s second basket, to open the fourth quarter, put the Hokies on top 57-47. She got an easy two after a pair of Syracuse players collided going for a defensive rebound for a 67-57 lead with 2:08 to go.
Dyaisha Fair quickly drilled a long 3-pointer for Syracuse. That’s when Amoore took over again. dribbling through the defense for a floater and making six free throws while the Orange missed their last four shots.
Ekh finished with 14 points and King 13 for the Hokies (16-4, 7-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). Olivia Summiel had 12 rebounds and Kitley nine. Kitley’s last game in single figures was against Duke last March and the last time she had three or fewer baskets was against Duke last January
Fair and Georgia Woolley both had 16 points for the Orange (17-3, 7-2), who had their six-game winning streak end. Alaina Rice had 14 points and Kyra Wood grabbed 12 rebounds. Fair moved up to ninth on the Division I scoring list with 3,101 points, passing Rachel Banham of Minnesota.
The first half featured two different quarters but the stats ended up as even as the score, which favored the Hokies 36-32.
Amoore scored Virginia Tech’s first 11 points and later added a layup before Kitley’s first basket made it 23-9 after one quarter. Amoore was 5 of 7 and the Hokies shot 56% to 3 of 13 for Syracuse (23.1%). In the second quarter the Orange shot 56% and the Hokies were 4 of 15 (26.7%).
By halftime, both teams were 13 of 31 with 18 rebounds and seven turnovers. Tech was 8 of 14 behind the arc to 4 of 12 for Syracuse.
Both teams started off cold in the third quarter. Syracuse missed its first five shots and was 1 of 10. The Hokies missed their first eight, but heated up, going 7 of 9 and taking a 55-47 lead into the fourth quarter.
Tech ended up with a 47-39 advantage on the boards and went 12 of 29 behind the arc to 5 of 22 for Syracuse.
Virginia Tech is home against Virginia on Thursday, while Syracuse visits No. 18 Louisville.