Kitley has 23 & 17, sets ACC rebounding record as No. 15 Hokies pull away from Williams & Mary

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- — Elizabeth Kitley had 23 points and 17 rebounds, setting the ACC career rebounding record, and No. 15 Virginia Tech found its shooting touch in the second half on Thursday to pull away for a 76-43 win over William & Mary.

Kitley, who has 1,304 rebounds, moved past former Hokey Regan Magarity (2015-19) and became the first Atlantic Coast Conference woman to surpass 1,300 boards.

After the Hokies shot 28% in the first half, including 1 of 18 from 3-point range, they went 9 of 11 behind the arc and shot 56% in the second half. That turned a three-point halftime lead into a rout.

Carys Baker made all three of her 3s in the second half and added 13 points for the Hokies (9-2). Georgia Amoore had 12 points and seven assists.

Bella Nascimento scored 15 of her 22 points in the first half to keep William & Mary (4-7) close but the Tribe never found their shooting touch. They finished at 24% (14 of 59), 5 of 21 from long distance.

Kitley had a 14-and-11 double-double at half but the Hokies only led 27-24. Kitley was 6 of 10, her teammates 4 of 26. The Tribe wasn't much better, going 4 of 13 behind the arc but shooting just 5 of 20 from close range.

Nascimento started the game with two 3s and scored William & Mary's first 11 points for an 11-3 lead but in the last three minutes of the first quarter the Hokies ran off 11 straight points and had the lead before Nascimento's late 3 made it 14-13. While Nascimento was 5 of 9, her teammates were 0 for 8.

The teams swapped 6-0 runs through the first half of the second quarter but Kitley and Amoore had the last two baskets to produce the three-point lead.

The Hokies got some separation in the third quarter, hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers and outscoring the Tribe 20-9. Baker hit back-to-back 3-pointers after Kitley scored to open the four quarter to stretch the lead to 55-33. Then came a a 15-0 run for a 32-point lead with less than two minutes to go. William & Mary missed its last seven shots after missing eight straight during a third-quarter drought.

Virginia Tech starts AACC play at home on New Year's Eve against Pitt.

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