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Hokies wrap up season at Michigan, 80-62
Tech ends season in WNIT quarterfinals
March 25, 2017
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Louisville (13-6,4-2 ACC) | 14 | 18 | 26 | 21 | 79 |
 (13) Virginia Tech (14-3,4-3 ACC) | 20 | 16 | 21 | 24 | 81 |
| |||||
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team wrapped up the 2016-17 season on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the WNIT, falling to Michigan 80-62 at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Vanessa Panousis led the Hokies (20-14) with 17 points, including five 3-pointers. She ends her career as the most prolific 3-point shooter in Virginia Tech history, having tallied 269 in four seasons. Chanette Hicks added 14 points, six assists and three steals while Regan Magarity tallied 12 points and eight boards.
“It was a tremendous year,” said head coach Kenny Brooks. “We are looking forward to building on it. I’m very excited, it was a great year, once we sit back and reflect on it; the records that were broken and the accomplishments that we had. I think it was a tremendous year to build on. I didn’t know what to think going in, coming to a new place you don’t know what to expect. I had heard so many wonderful things, but Hokie Nation was every bit of what I thought they would be and then some. The support was amazing.”
Tech got out the lead in the opening quarter, but the teams kept it close trading baskets throughout. The Hokies led by five late in the frame, but Michigan closed it to a 20-19 game heading into the second. Michigan opened the second with a 13-2 run to pull ahead by 10, but five quick points from Panousis cut the Wolverines lead down to five with 2:46 to go. The Wolverines closed out the second outscoring Tech 6-2 to go into the lockerroom up 38-29.
Michigan opened the third with a basket from outside, but the Hokies tallied three points on the other end. The Wolverines answered with another run, outscoring Tech 13-5 over the next five minutes to pull ahead 54-37. A 3-pointer from Panousis cut it back to a 14-point game, but Michigan took a 62-45 lead heading into the fourth. Kendyl Brooks dropped in a 3-pointer to open the fourth as the Hokies again closed it to 14, but that was as close as Tech got the rest of the way.
The Wolverines were strong inside the paint, holding a 41-34 advantage on the boards and notching 44-28 in points in the paint. Tech connected on 40.3 percent from the filed while Michigan shot 51.6 percent. The Hokies held the advantage from outside, knocking in 10 3-pointers to the Wolverines’ seven.
Katelynn Flaherty led the Wolverines (26-9) with 29 points, tallying 7-of-12 from outside. Hallie Thome chipped in 27 points and was 11-of-16 from the field.
Tech wraps up one of its best seasons in recent memory, having won multiple games in the postseason for the first since 2002. Virginia Tech also recorded its first 20-win season since 2005-06.
The Hokies conclude the careers of four seniors who made their marks on the program. Sidney Cook, Samantha Hill, Tara Nahodil and Panousis were key in helping the Hokies get back to the postseason for the first time in nine years when Tech made the WNIT in 2016.
For updates on Virginia Tech women's basketball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WBBall
