When it comes to conference play in women's college basketball, it's about surviving and advancing in terms of winning games. It doesn't always have to be pretty; just get the job done. That was the case for Virginia Tech in their first of two Commonwealth Clashes with Virginia at Cassell Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.
It was a monster game for several reasons. The Hokies and Cavaliers were tied at 7-3 in the conference standings going into the game, and both were squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. There was plenty to play, along with bragging rights between the two fanbases. It wasn't always pretty, but Virginia Tech got the job done with a 76-64 win after a dominating fourth quarter that saw them outscore the Cavaliers, 21-14, and never saw the lead get under a two-possession game. After the game, Megan Duffy explained how she felt about her team's effort.
Virginia Tech coach Megan Duffy liked her teams grit in win over Virginia
It was a grind-it-out type of win for Virginia Tech and one that they could ill-afford to lose with a daunting schedule coming up beginning Thursday night at Notre Dame.
"I’m just extremely proud and grateful for the grit and effort they showed tonight,'' said Duffy. "Hard-nosed, physical game, I thought they were just relentless with staying in the moment, fighting for each other, fixing things as we went. Just overall, loved the grit of this team today.”
The grit was needed, to say the least. While the Hokies tried to pull away from the Cavaliers multiple times, they couldn't until late in the game. Entering the game, the Hokies were part of the "Last Four In" by Charlie Creme of ESPN, while Virginia was part of the "First Four Out". You have to think that this "grit win" was enough to move them up a line.