Women's Basketball Falls to Virginia Tech
Jan. 25, 2007
Blacksburg, Va. – Maurita Reid (Queens, N.Y) finished with a career-high 28 points and Renee Taylor (Harlem, N.Y.) added 17 points, but it wasn’t enough as the University of Miami women’s basketball team fell to Virginia Tech, 78-71, on Thursday evening at Cassell Coliseum.
In their third-straight ACC win, the Hokies (14-8, 4-3 ACC) used 47.5-percent shooting from the field and 80.8-percent shooting from the charity stripe. Although the Hurricanes (10-11, 1-5 ACC) managed to hit 53.8 percent of their three-point attempts (7-13) in the second half – including four of Reid’s career-high five treys, they struggled in the first half and shot just 36.1 percent from the field and 68.8 percent from the line.
The teams battled early and the Hurricanes grabbed a three-point lead on a layup from Reid. But seven-straight Virginia Tech points gave the home team the 11-7 advantage, and the Hokies would extend their lead to 17 points, up 33-16, courtesy of a 20-5 run – including eight straight from senior Britney Anderson.
With 2:33 remaining in the opening half, Reid hit a three-pointer to snap Miami’s six-minute field goal drought and sparked a furious 11-2 scoring drive, as the Hurricanes entered intermission with a single-digit deficit, trailing 35-27.
Miami’s long-range game awoke in the second stanza as Taylor got the offense going with a three-pointer. Reid followed it with another trey to bring Miami within six, and the Hurricanes continued to hammer away at the Hokie lead. Another pair of back-to-back threes from Taylor and Reid knotted the game at 45-all with 13:35 remaining.
Virginia Tech answered with six-straight points to reclaim the lead, 51-45. The Hokies led by as many as nine points with just under six minutes remaining in the game, but the Hurricanes wouldn’t back down. A 12-2 Miami run – including consecutive three-point plays from Taylor and Reid – brought the Hurricanes within a basket, down 68-66, with 3:28 on the clock, and Reid’s fifth three-pointer of the game kept Miami within three, 74-71, with 1:07 to go.
But a layup from Brittany Cook, followed by a pair of Hokie free throws, sealed the win for Virginia Tech.
The Hokies, who entered the game ranked ninth in the ACC with 66-percent free throw shooting, shot nearly 81 percent (21-26) on Thursday evening, including 8-of-8 from 6-6 center Nare Diawara, who finished with a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds for Virginia Tech. Cook added 18 points and seven boards, while Kirby Copeland dished out a game-high nine assists.
Miami freshman Charmaine Clark (Hinesville, Ga.) finished with eight points and tied her career high with 11 rebounds and three assists. Albrey Grimsley (Fort Pierce, Fla.) had six points and six assists.
The University of Miami women’s basketball team returns to the hardwood on Sunday, January 28, versus Clemson (9-12, 1-5 ACC) at the BankUnited Center. The 1 p.m. game will be televised live on CSS and be part of the ACC and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “WEAR PINK” campaign to support the growing fight against breast cancer. All fans and staff are encouraged to wear pink to the game to help educate, create awareness and motivate everyone to learn about cancer prevention.
