Collegiate Times

The Virginia Tech women's basketball team rebounded with a 70-41 victory over the George Mason Patriots on Thursday night, improving their record to 2-1.

Hokies' head coach Beth Dunkenberger was happy to see her team get back to form after a tough 72-58 loss to Virginia Commonwealth University on Monday. 

“A much better performance, a much happier coach tonight than a few days ago,” she said.

A 10-0 run sparked by senior Lindsay Biggs broke open a tied game with 11:44 remaining in the first half.

Biggs, who was in a shooting slump and had not made a three pointer this season, netted four of them in the first half. 

“You just have to keep shooting when you're a shooter. You aren't going to make all of them,” Biggs said.

“When you're in a shooting slump, you work on it, you don't just wish it away, and she did that,” Dunkenberger added.

Freshman Abby Redick, sister of former Duke star JJ Redick, was extremely active for the Hokies under the basket, garnering four rebounds in the game in addition to tipping out several balls, contributing to the Hokies’ fifteen second-chance points with seven of her own.

Redick brought the intensity that Dunkenberger has been emphasizing in practice the past several days.

“She was very solid fundamentally and a huge addition,” Dunkenberger said. 

With four seconds remaining in the first, Tech freshman guard Aerial Wilson stole an inbounds pass from Patriots’ forward Janaa Pickard and managed to put the ball up, drawing a foul.

Wilson made both the free throws sending the energized Hokies into the locker room with a 39-24 lead.

Tech began the second half on a shooting slump, making only two shots from the field in the first ten minutes.

A 7-0 run by George Mason along with the Hokies’ lack of offensive production enabled the Patriots to stay in the game, down by only 14 midway through the second half.

Tech was streaky offensively throughout the game, putting together several good possessions followed by large scoring droughts.

“We still need to work on our timing offensively. We've gone through some lulls when we're not scoring, when we can get rid of those I think we'll have a decent team,” Dunkenberger said.

The Hokies’ trouble controlling the ball contributed to the periods of offensive issues.  Tech turned the ball over 18 times on the night. 

Turnovers have been problematic lately for Tech. The Hokies gave the ball away 24 times Monday when they played Virginia Commonwealth.

“We did have 18 turnovers which is still too many. I thought those turnovers were a result of our carelessness and our lack of organization versus a result of great defensive play,” said Dunkenberger.  “We need to quit making the same mistakes over and over.”

Senior forward Utahya Drye tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds to earn her fifth career double-double.

Drye’s performance along with a 29-5 bench scoring advantage for Tech propelled the Hokies to a 70-41 victory.

Dunkenberger got nearly everybody on the team involved Thursday as the Hokies saw action from 12 players including all five freshmen.

“We're coming in (from high school) ready to play and we have great upperclassmen who are leading us,” Redick said.

It is typical for teams to limit their rotations to eight or so players as the season progresses, however the Hokies may not do that.

“I feel like if we all keep at it, making each other better, then everybody is going to get to play,” Drye said.

“I like to give people opportunities,” Dunkenberger said. “If they work that hard in practice, I like to give them opportunities.  I recruit kids to come here and contribute.”:

Tech returns to action this Sunday at 2 p.m. when they face James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.