Even as Elizabeth Kitley auspiciously scrunched her 6-foot, 6-inch frame, blending into a mass of ponytails during No. 13 Virginia Tech’s final timeout, there was no doubt as to where coach Kenny Brooks was directing his attention: with 25 points already and 2.9 seconds on the clock, Kitley would get the chance at a game winner.
But even this mountain of foresight still couldn’t help NC State contain the All-American center, who separated herself along the low block, corralled the inbounds pass from Cayla King and converted off the glass with less than a second remaining.
NC State’s Hail Mary attempt from Saniya Rivers clattered off the backboard, and Kitley’s basket capped off a 14-2 Hokie run over the final eight minutes of play that handed No. 3 NC State its first loss of the season, 63-62.
ELIZABETH KITLEY HITS THE GAME WINNER 🚨 @HokiesWBB pic.twitter.com/UkawwYeH2U
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 7, 2024
Kitley proved just as vital in the early going, as America’s 10th-most efficient offense uncharacteristically struggled to gain traction outside of their post anchor. Kitley scored eight of VT’s 13 points in an opening quarter as the…
