Women's Basketball vs Syracuse Feb 21

The Lady Hokies host Syracuse tomorrow at noon. The game is a Regional Sports Network game. Good luck finding a place to watch. Syracuse is 11-5 and 8-5 in the ACC. They are 7-0 at home and 4-5 on the road. They have wins at Miami, Boston College and Pittsburgh and at home against Miami, UNC, Notre Dame, Pitt and Wake Forest. They have lost at UNC, Louisville, Clemson, Ga Tech and FSU.

Kitley will face a player taller than her for the first time this year, I think, in 6'7" Freshman Kamilla Cardoso.

#14 Kamilla Cardoso, 6'7" Freshman Center
24.1 Min/game, 15.2 ppg, 60.0%, 0-1 from 3, 55.7% FT
8.6 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, 2.5 PF and 1.8 TO per game

#23 Kiara Lewis. 5'8" Redshirt Senior Guard
35.8 min/game, 14.1 ppg, 33.9%, 27.4% from 3, 64.7% FT
3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game

#4 Tiana Mangakahia, 5.6" 5th year Guard
30.9 min/game, 10.8 ppg, 42.7%, 35.1% from 3, 83.7% FT
3.5 rebunds, 7.7 assists per game

#21 Emily Engstler, 6'1" Junior Guard
27.7 min/game, 9.5 ppg, 43.9%, 35.1% from 3, 54.5% FT
9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assist, 2.1 TO per game

#2 Priscilla Williams, 6'2" Freshman Guard
21.9 min/game, 9.4 ppg, 41.0%, 40.5% from 3, 72.4% FT
3.3 rebounds per game

#45 Digna Strautmane, 6'2" Senior Forward
28.3 min/game, 7.1 ppg. 37.3%, 25.0% from 3, 100% FT
6 rebounds, 2.3 PF per game

Stats:

This game will be worth watching just for the Kitley-Cardoso match-up. Cardoso averages 24.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 24.1 min/game. She does have a tendency to foul with an average of 2.5 fouls per game. Kitley averages 18.9 points and 11.3 points in 34.3 min/game.

Cardoso is supported by Kiara Lewis with 14.1 points, Kitley has Aisha Sheppard contributing 19.1 ppg. Advantange Hokies. And Kitley does a better job of staying out of foul trouble.

Tech is shooting 37.3% from 3; Syracuse has allowed 30.8% this season. I think our offense beats their defense, especially if Amoore or Cayla King shoots well to take some attention away from Sheppard.

If Kitley and/or Sheppard can force Cardoso to defend and foul, the Ladies could do well.

The Hokies are on a roll and Syracuse does not play well on the road. This should be a win for the Ladies. As I always note, it makes me nervous to say that because we have a tendency to lose focus. Syracuse is a good team with a couple of freshman who have almost a full season of experience now. This is not a team to relax against.

Go Hokies!