Kitley, No. 1 Virginia Tech get past Ohio St.

Virginia Tech snapped Ohio St.'s three-game win streak on Monday evening, handing it an 84-74 loss at Climate Pledge Arena. The Hokies went into the break leading by three points, and then outscored the Buckeyes 36-29 over the final 20 minutes to secure the win.

Elizabeth Kitley continued a strong season for Virginia Tech with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Kitley's performance is their 22nd double-double of the season. It was not just Kitley though, the Hokies' offense was humming on all cylinders, pouring in 1.12 points per possession on 48% shooting from the field. Their aggressive play paid off, as they drew 25 fouls on the defense, which led to 24 points on 86% shooting from the charity stripe.

The Buckeyes' offensive efficiency was impressive despite the result. They averaged 1.04 points per possession on 57% true shooting. Taylor Mikesell led the charge, tallying 25 points. Rebounding was a different story entirely, as OSU was outrebounded 32-24 overall, and only 13% of the team's missed shots resulted in second chances.

OSU committed seven unforced turnovers (10% of possessions)
Six lead changes and four ties were recorded in the game.

This loss surely stings for the Buckeyes and their fans, who were one game away from reaching the Final Four. But that shouldn’t diminish what this team has accomplished. Ohio St. earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament and made a run most teams would be envious of.