Giant killers meet in West
Hokies, Buckeyes topped legends
SEATTLE — Once the brackets were released, a showcase featuring two of the biggest powerhouse names in women’s college basketball seemed inevitable.
And then Virginia Tech and Ohio State kicked aside the nostalgic hopes of a possible Connecticut and Tennessee showdown with a Final Four berth on the line.
Instead, it will be the top-seeded Hokies (30-4) and the No. 3 seed Buckeyes (28-7) meeting Monday in the Seattle 3 Regional final and the last spot in Dallas on the line.
And it’ll provide another fresh face to the Final Four landscape. Ohio State hasn’t reached a Final Four since 1993, its only appearance in school history. Virginia Tech had never reached the Elite Eight before Saturday’s win over Tennessee.
“I think that’s the beauty because these kids have dreamed — they didn’t dream of playing for Tennessee or Uconn. They dreamed of getting to the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and now they’re accomplishing those goals,” Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks said. “And I want them to relish in it. I want them to understand what they have accomplished for Virginia Tech.”
While it was easy to dream at the potential of another Uconn-tennessee matchup after the tournament field was unveiled, Virginia Tech was the No. 1 seed in the region for good reason. The Hokies’ 73-64 win over the Lady Vols in the Sweet 16 was their 14th straight win.
The previous time Virginia Tech suffered a setback was Jan. 26 at Duke. Two months later, there hasn’t been another blemish, and only one of those 14 wins has been by fewer than eight points.
“I think the end of our season that we had kind of prepared us for this,” Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore said. “We played a bunch of talented teams back-to-backto-back. I think it tested us a lot. We came out with wins, but we definitely learned a lot from that final season stretch.”
For Ohio State, getting to a regional final is an accomplishment.
“There is a lot more parity than there used to be. But to really validate that statement we need new teams in the Final Four,” Ohio State coach Kevin Mcguff said.