Box Score
BLACKSBURG, VA – Senior forward Utahya Drye posted 13 points and 10 rebounds, leading host Virginia Tech to a 67-51 women's basketball win over NJIT in the first round of the Hilton Garden Classic Tuesday evening at the Cassell Coliseum.
Tuesday night was the first all-time women's basketball meeting with a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Drye recorded her seventh career double-double shooting 6-for-8 on field goal attempts and grabbed eight offensive rebounds. The Hokies Porschia Hadley combined for 10 points and six rebounds while point guard Nikki Davis dished out a career-high eight assists.
The game's scoring leader was NJIT senior forward Taiwo Oyelola whom scored a season-high 16 points. Taiwo did most of her damage against Virginia Tech in the first half scoring 11 points in 13 minutes of first-half action.
The other double-figure scorer for the Highlanders was sophomore point guard Melanie Griffin with 10 points in 26 minutes of action.
NJIT opened up with an early 9-2 lead on a fast break lay-up by junior Jessica Gerald with 17:00 remaining in the first half. The Hokies scored the games next six points pulling within one, 9-8, on a lay-up by freshman Alyssa Fenyn.
The Highlanders used a strong defense and an efficient offense to spark a 10-2 spurt, taking a 17-10 lead, before Shanel Harrison broke the Hokies scoring drought on a lay-up at 9:38.
Virginia Tech would take its first lead of the contest, 20-19, at the 6:16 mark on a lay-up by Drye. Harrison's consecutive lay-ups started a 10-2 run for the Hokies.
Trailing 31-25 at halftime, Virginia Tech stretched its lead to nine, 34-25 but the Highlanders fought back and pulled within three, 38-35, on a fast break lay-up by Gerald, at the 15:13 mark.
Virginia Tech then pushed its advantage to seven points on two different occasions in a span of 2:20, the last at 10:25, 46-39, on a lay-up by Brittany Gordon. NJIT scored the next four points cutting the lead to three, 46-43, just under the eight minute mark.
The Hokies dominated over the next four minutes scoring 10 unanswered points pulling away from the Highlanders, 56-43, with 4:42 remaining.
NJIT will close out the 2009 season Wednesday in the consolation round of the Hilton Garden Classic facing Central Connecticut State at 5pm. Virginia Tech will take on Charlotte at 7pm for the Hilton Garden Classic title.
