It was Senior Day in Cassell Coliseum, but the biggest celebration came at the end of the afternoon, as the Hokies escaped with one of their most thrilling wins of the season.
Virginia Tech (17-10, 8-8) beat California (22-7, 10-6) 87-84, reaching eight ACC wins for the sixth consecutive season.
Fittingly, it was seniors Matilda Ekh and Rose Micheaux who led the way for the Hokies. Micheaux scored 11 points on 5/8 shooting, despite dealing with foul trouble, while Ekh led the team with 19 points and five assists on 9/12 from the field and only one three-point attempt.
“What she’s been working on all season was on full display tonight,” Virginia Tech head coach Megan Duffy said of the sharpshooter’s diversified skill set.
Besides being two key kegs in the Hokies’ starting five, Micheaux and Ekh were invaluable as leaders for a young and fairly inexperienced Tech team.
“(They’re a) great yin and yang with Rose whose our fiery one, our physical one. Matilda is a calming presence,” Duffy said. “I’m just so appreciative of the way they’ve approached all the change in the spring and summer. They have very different personalities but the[‘ve led us all the way. It’s not about numbers; it’s about playing hard. I haven’t known them for years. It’s been a few months but it feels like a lifetime.”
Immediately from the tipoff, it was clear the Hokies were playing with a chip on their shoulder for a couple of reasons.
First of all was to get the seniors one final win in Cassell Coliseum.
“I love playing in Cassell,” Ekh said following the game. “I can’t believe this is the last one.”
Just as important was proving to themselves and the fans that the team that lost to Stanford on Thursday isn’t who they really are.
“So proud of our response,” Duffy happily stated. “We were pretty upset and devastated after the Stanford game.”
Perhaps the most disappointing result from the Stanford loss was turning it over 19 times. The Hokies responded with their lowest turnover total in program history, coughing it up only five times.
“I thought the combination of Carleigh and Macki went well,” Duffy commented. “I thought we had a different mentality handling the pressure.”
The Hokies paired historically low turnover numbers with their typical high shooting percentages. Virginia Tech knocked down nearly 56% of their shots, and over 94% of their free throw attempts.
All seven rotation players registered at least seven points. Carys Baker recovered from her rare off-night with a 14 point effort, while Carleigh Wenzel shook off a shaky first half with an elite second half on the way to 19 points and some big buckets down the stretch.
The Hokies won almost every statistical category, but Cal stayed in the game due to prolific three-point shooting. Ioanna Krimili, in particular, went 4/7 from downtown on her way to 19 points, and was one toe on the line away from tying the game with a ridiculous jumper with under 15 seconds left.
“What our guards have to do to guard the Cal guards, going through stagger (screen) after stagger is difficult,” Duffy said.
Regardless of what happens down the stretch of the season, the Hokies exceeded expectations in just about every way imaginable.
Virginia Tech returned less than 29% of their scoring from a year ago and were essentially rebuilding with a new coach and almost an entire team that had never played real collegiate minutes.
“When we started this season it wasn’t about the tournament,” Duffy said. “I wasn’t about being in or out. It was about the growth of this team.”
The growth of this roster, both as individuals and as a unit, has been evident. However, the Hokies now have a real opportunity to reach the NCAA Tournament in Duffy’s first year at the helm.
According to ESPN’s Charlie Creme, Virginia Tech was the last team in the projected field prior to Sunday's win over California. Now, with a high-level quadrant 2 win under their belt, the Hokies seem to have at least a slight bit of breathing room.
The Hokies have just two games to go, with trips to Boston College and Clemson on Thursday and Sunday, respectively, both of which fall in the second quadrant for now.
With the recent win over California, Virginia Tech has an exciting opportunity to reach the NCAA tournament for the fifth consecutive season if they can take care of business down the closing stretch of the regular season.
