In a stacked evening of women’s basketball, perhaps the biggest marquee matchup of them all is the showdown between the 9th ranked Virginia Tech Hokies and the 7th ranked LSU Tigers.
It has only been about eight months since the last time these squads faced each other, as LSU defeated Virginia Tech 79-72 in last season’s Final Four on their way to a national championship.
While LSU lost its leading scorer from last season’s showdown in Alexis Morris, many of the other stars have returned from that game as the Hokies bring back two-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley who went for 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 blocks against the Tigers last tournament, as well as Georgia Amoore who dropped 17 points.
On the other hand, LSU returns the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in Angel Reese, who gave Virginia Tech 24 points, 12 boards, and 3 steals last season. Reese has been somewhat mysteriously away from the team ever since benched in a second half victory over Kent State on November 14th. Her re-addition to the lineup will add much needed size and rebounding that any team needs when matched against arguably the best center in the country in Elizabeth Kitley.
And while some of the biggest names of the night may be the returners, the Hokies will also have to gameplan against the talented freshmen and stars from the transfer portal LSU brought in this season including DePaul transfer Aneesah Morrow, who is averaging 18 points per game, to go along with an incredible 3.5 steals per game. Some other names to keep in mind are sharpshooter Mikaylah Williams, who is averaging 17.5 points per game on a mind-boggling 56% from three point land, and Louisville transfer Hailey Van Lith, who is a high-level scorer at the point.
The Hokies come into the game riding a four game winning streak, ever since their four-point loss at the hands of Caitlin Clark and the 4th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. Meanwhile LSU boasts a seven-game winning streak, as they haven’t lost since opening night against the now 7th ranked Colorado Buffaloes (LSU and Colorado are tied at number 7 in the AP Poll).
While both teams are bringing momentum from the previous few weeks into the game, this game is very much a battle between two different playstyles.
In terms of pace of play, a slower tempo tends to benefit the Hokies who prefer to go to work in the half court set, running lots of pick and rolls, and giving Kitley post touches where she can either score or kick to shooters. LSU, meanwhile, likes to speed up games and get out in transition where they can use their athleticism to get easy buckets. So far this season, nine more shots are taken in LSU games than in Virginia Tech games simply because of their contrasting paces of play. Whoever can control the pace and play to their own strengths will be heavily favored to get the win tonight.
Besides just how many shots these teams take each game, another way their styles vary is where they take their shots. LSU is third in the country in two-point field goals made per game, and are first in free throws made per game. Whether in transition, off of offensive rebounds, or just in the halfcourt set, LSU is going to look to get the ball down low and take high percentage shots near the basket.
While Virginia Tech has no problem getting it down low to Elizabeth Kitley, as a whole they are much more of a three-point shooting team than LSU. The Hokies rank 25th in the country in three pointers made per game, while LSU doesn’t even crack the top 300.
For Virginia Tech to pull off this revenge win, they are going to have to take care of the ball, and pack the paint defensively. When LSU is getting steals and getting out in transition, they are nearly unstoppable, so the Hokies, and more specifically Georgia Amoore, has to make sure she makes smart passes and doesn’t get rattled by the Tigers defense.
Similarly, the Hokies need to force LSU to hit outside shots, as this is something LSU has done very little of all season. If LSU wins because they hit 10 or more threes, that is just something Kenny Brooks and his squad are going to have to live with, because there is a much smaller chance they will lose from perimeter shooting, than there is because of the Tigers' dominant inside scoring.
Finally, as good as Amoore and Kitley are, they simply won’t be able to beat LSU alone. Virginia Tech will need another player to have a big game whether that is a hot shooting night from Cayla King or a second consecutive big game from Olivia Summiel, or a big game from someone like Matilda Ekh, Rose Micheaux, or Carleigh Wenzel.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 72, LSU 69
I think Virginia Tech is going to take care of the ball and control the pace of play, to lead to a slightly lower scoring affair than LSU likes. While Angel Reese is going to come back with a purpose in front of a fiery LSU crowd, Elizabeth Kitley will be able to cancel out Angel Reece, and Virginia Tech’s shooters will knock down just enough long balls to get the Hokies this massive win.
