The Virginia Tech Hokies will host the Marshall Thundering Herd in Blacksburg on Friday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in the opening round of the 2024 women’s March Madness tournament.
Virginia Tech looks to rebound from its unceremonious elimination from the ACC tournament two weekends ago when Notre Dame thrashed the Hokies 82-53. Kenny Brooks’ squad entered the conference tourney as the 1-seed, having finished the regular season 23-7 and winning the ACC regular-season title.
As for Marshall, it was a storybook season under first-year head coach Kim Caldwell. The Thundering Herd have made the March Madness tournament for the first time since 1997, the only other year the program got into the Big Dance. Caldwell’s squad broke the program’s single-season wins record and won the Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles.
Let’s dive into this compelling first-round matchup, taking a look at the odds as well as some key stats and trends, players to watch and our prediction.
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Virginia Tech vs. Marshall odds
Early odds have Virginia Tech as a considerable 12.5-point favorite entering Friday’s matchup, according to BetMGM.
Odds: Virginia Tech (-12.5) Date: Friday, March 22 Time: 3:30 p.m. ET TV: ESPN2 Arena: Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, VA
Virginia Tech (24-7, 14-4 in ACC)
Virginia Tech enjoyed a great season, finishing atop the ACC standings with a 24-7 record and 14-4 conference record. The Hokies outscored opponents by an average of 13.1 points per game and ranked 36th in the nation in scoring with 74.8 points per game. More importantly, they also went a perfect 15-0 at home.
The Hokies defense, however, leaves a bit to be desired. They rank just 111th in the nation, surrendering 61.7 PPG. They have also hit the skids a little on the offensive side of the floor over the past 10 games, averaging just 67.8 PPG during that span.
The senior duo of Georgia Amoore and Elizabeth Kitley easily serves as the Hokies’ main offensive catalysts. In Tech’s final regular season contest vs. Virginia, for instance, Amoore and Kitley combined for 59 of the team’s 75 points (Clara Strack had eight points off the bench and no other player had more than three).
That kind of top-heavy attack can often render problems in March, so we’ll be sure to watch how the complementary players perform for Kenny Brooks’ squad.
Key players
Elizabeth Kitley, C, Sr. (6-6): 22.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg
Georgia Amoore, G, Sr. (5-6): 19.2 ppg, 6.9 apg, 2.7 rpg
Matilda Ekh, G, Jr. (6-0): 9.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.7 apg
MORE: Buy tickets to 2024 March Madness games
Marshall (26-6, 17-1 in Sun Belt)
Kim Caldwell already has a ton to be proud of in her first year as Marshall’s head coach. She led the Thundering Herd to its best record ever, guided them to regular season and conference tournament titles and has the program back in the dance for the second time ever and the first time in 27 years.
The Herd ride a 10-game winning streak into the tournament, hoping to keep the dream alive and play nightmarish spoilers for the Hokies. And while Marshall clearly preferred playing at home (where it went 11-1) and against conference foes (17-1 vs. SBC), its 12-5 road record and 9-5 non-conference record tell us this team has the confidence to give anybody its best shot.
The key to Marshall’s success has been from long range, as the Herd sink an average of 10.6 three-pointers per game. They also have a heck of a playmaker in Abby Beeman, who ranks seventh in the nation with 205 total assists. They have gone 17-0 when they hit 11 or more treys in a game — but sadly (womp, womp), the Hokies allow just 4.9 threes per game.
Key players
Abby Beeman, G, Sr. (5-4): 16.8 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.7 rpg, 2.4 spg
Breanna Campbell, G, Sr. (5-5): 15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.0 spg
Aislynn Hayes, G, Jr. (5-9): 14.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.4 spg
WOMEN’S BRACKET GUIDES: Iowa | South Carolina | LSU | USC | UConn
Virginia Tech vs. Marshall prediction
The Thundering Herd have averaged over 90 points per game over their past 10 contests, but these Hokies are a much different foe than James Madison, Appalachian State and Louisiana-Monroe. Kitley and Amoore alone might run circles around Caldwell’s small, perimeter-dependent Marshall team.
The Herd rack up a lot of steals, but they can’t defend the interior and often struggle to contain the high screen-and-roll. If Amoore and Kitley develop a rhythm early, this one could get out of hand relatively early. Compound that with Virginia Tech’s above-average three-point defense (opponents shoot 29.3% from deep) and we’ve got this one chalked in as an easy cover for the dominant home team.