Collegiate Times

Alyssa Fenyn (13) is pushed out-of-bounds under pressure from Candice Wood (4) and Nia Evans (20). The Hokies lost to the Tar Heels 56-37.

For much of the season, the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team has left the court with some positive outcomes.

Head coach Dennis Wolff just wishes he were seeing wins as opposed to losses.

The team dropped its fourth-straight game Thursday night, this time a 56-37 loss at the hands of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The loss, which pushes the Hokies to 6-13 and 2-4 in the ACC, is particularly frustrating for Wolff, who is down to just six scholarship players.

“I thought this was very similar to a bunch of other games we’ve played,” Wolff said. “We played hard, but we get to the point where we hit the wall. It’s a combination of fatigue and our limited roster.”

The Hokies trailed by just four a halftime thanks to three three-pointers by Monet Tellier. Ten second-half turnovers ended up dooming the Hokies in the end, however.

“I told the kids in the locker room, we’ve just got to find a way to be a little more efficient on offense, get some more people involved,” Wolff said.

The Tar Heels began the second half on a 9-2 run and never led by less than seven the rest of the way.

Unlike their loss to Duke on Sunday, the Hokies stayed competitive throughout the first half.

“I think they just came out with more fight than we did,” Tellier said. “It was a toss up between both teams at half time. They just fought a little bit harder.”

Tech was without starting shooting guard Alyssa Fenyn for much of the night, as the junior was dealing with illness. Averaging 8.8 points per game, the Hokies ultimately could not handle the loss of another player.

“Coach tells us in practice we always have to fight through fatigue,” Tellier said. “We all know our numbers are down and that we just need to fight through it. Just push through.”

The 19 turnovers were in large part a by-product of the short bench, yet Tellier is trying to turn the struggles into a positive.

“I definitely think it’s a learning experience, and with our numbers being down it makes me want to push harder and keep playing for my teammates,” Tellier said. “I take it personally.”

North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell, in her 36th season at Chapel Hill, finally recorded her 600th win as a Tar Heel. Coming off three-straight losses, Hatchell and her players truly appreciated the monumental achievement.

“I really didn’t think anything about it truthfully,” Hatchell said after the game. “Everything I own is Carolina blue, and it’s a privilege to be at the University of North Carolina. I can’t tell you how great it is.”

The Tar Heels program provides a great example for Wolff and the Hokies' program.

“To coach that team for as long as she has, 600 wins is just a phenomenal achievement,” Wolff said. “It’s an unbelievable accomplishment.”

As their losing streak extends to four games, the Hokies — particularly their head coach — don’t want to hang their heads too much. With several winnable games remaining and some key players returning from injury, the Hokies could end the season on a high note.

“I’m trying not to harp too much on where we’re at right now,” Wolff said. “This is a basketball game. This is who we have, and we’ve got to try and play with who we have right now.”

The Hokies head back on the road Monday night when they travel to face the Miami Hurricanes. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

A version of this article appeared in the Jan 20 issue of the Collegiate Times.