The Hurricanes steal an ACC win on the road
Miami women’s basketball stormed back from an 18-point deficit and knocked off Virginia Tech, 75-67 in overtime Thursday. The victory marked the 500th career win for coach Tricia Cullop.
Virginia Tech controlled the first half behind hot perimeter shooting and physical work on the glass, building a 33-19 halftime edge. The Hokies pushed the lead to 49-31 with 3:35 left in the third quarter, then watched momentum flip when Miami turned up the pressure.
Miami’s offense finally caught up in the fourth. After trading punches early, the Hurricanes found enough stops to erase the lead possession by possession, then Gal Raviv drilled a three with 1:43 left in regulation to pull Miami even at 60. On the next critical sequence, Ra Shaya Kyle jumped a passing lane for a steal, and the game drifted into overtime after both teams came up empty in their last possessions.
In the extra five minutes, Kyle took over. She opened overtime with a layup to put Miami in front, and Miami kept attacking downhill while Virginia Tech’s legs faded. The Hurricanes won overtime 13-5, turning one late defensive stand after another into points on the other end.
Kyle powered the second-half comeback with paint touches, putbacks and rim runs, finishing with 23 points and 13 rebounds in 38 minutes. Raviv supplied the volume scoring and the chaos plays with 18 points, four steals and three assists while playing 42 minutes. Amarachi Kimpson added 14 points in 43 minutes on the floor, giving Miami a steady secondary option during the late push and extra period.
Virginia Tech got 16 points from Carleigh Wenzel and 13 from Kilah Freelon, but Miami forced the Hokies into 16 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 18 points. The turnover gap mattered even more because Virginia Tech shot far better from deep (9-20) than Miami (2-15). Miami overcame that three-point deficit by dominating the interior, scoring 46 points in the paint and grabbing 15 second-chance points.
The win bumped Miami to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in ACC play, and gave the Hurricanes a road win. The ‘Canes return home for their next matchup Sunday afternoon against Clemson.
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