Despite the Hokies' fast start, Hannah Hidalgo (30 points) and #3 Notre Dame (18-2) bounced back from a shaky first quarter, knocking off Virginia Tech (14-7) 77-61.
The Hokies came out guns-blazing, knocking down three triples in as many minutes in front of a rowdy Cassell Coliseum crowd.
“We needed to feed off of the crowd’s energy and I think we did that in the beginning,” said Virginia Tech sophomore forward Carys Baker.
The Hokies built off this early momentum and continued rolling, winning the first quarter 21-18 and leading for over 13 minutes in the first half.
“I thought we moved it and cut really well in the first half,” said Virginia Tech head coach Megan Duffy. “You have to sustain it for 40 minutes like we talked about.”
It’s one thing to sustain great play against an average team, and quite another to do so against a team that is National Championship caliber.
While the Hokies played well in the early going, it always seemed as if they were just one cold streak or bad break from falling behind. That is exactly what happened less than a minute into the second quarter as the Fighting Irish rallied from a seven-point deficit and finished the half on an 18-7 run to take a 36-32 lead into the break.
Notre Dame extended their run into the second half behind a 14-point third quarter from All-American Hannah Hidalgo, and took a comfortable 15-point lead into the fourth quarter.
“Runs are always important and our team thrives on runs,” said Notre Dame senior forward Liza Karlen (12 points).
While the Hokies were able to cut the lead to just 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, Karlen, Megan Duffy’s former player at Marquette, knocked down a dagger three at the top of the key; one of her five makes in a perfect night from the floor.
Notre Dame likes to play fast and they get out in transition as well as anyone in the country, but Virginia Tech held them to just four fastbreak points. Still it wasn’t enough as the Irish found ways to efficiently score in the half court set.
“As soon as you think you do one thing well against them, they have a counter,” Duffy said.
Notre Dame is more than capable of running teams out of the gym, so at least forcing them to score in the half court kept the game in check.
“In the first half we didn’t turn the ball over much. We were able to get back and build a wall. This is a team where you have to pick your offensive rebound opportunities,” Duffy said of the Hokies transition defense. “We were on high alert about it; they are super talented when they get out in transition.”
In the end, the Hokies just didn’t knock down enough shots to beat a top three team. Notre Dame shot better than 50/40/90, while Virginia Tech made less than 38% of their shots including only 27% of their threes. After starting 3/4 from distance, the Hokies made just one of their final 11 triples in the last 33 minutes of action.
“I don’t think we’ve ever said we’re going to live and die by the three, but it was nice to start out hot and hit them,” Duffy said.
While the Hokies haven’t had to live or die by the three all year, they needed to stay hot to have any chance of staying up with and beating a team like Notre Dame.
Despite the loss, Carys Baker had one of her best career games with a team-high 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. On a night when Carleigh Wenzel struggled to knock down shots and stay on the floor due to foul trouble, Baker and Matilda Ekh (13 points) provided a nice offensive spark for the Hokies.
After a brutal two-game stretch against two nationally recognized opponents - #20 NC State and #3 Notre Dame - Virginia Tech is looking to put their two-game losing streak behind them.
“We want to put our blinders on,” Duffy said. “Be hungry to get better tomorrow. Be relentless with this mindset to improve.”
The Hokies will look to bounce back as they host the SMU Mustangs (10-12) at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 2nd. No. 3 Notre Dame, meanwhile, will look to extend their 12 game winning streak as they travel to the Bluegrass state to face the Louisville Cardinals at noon on February 2nd.
