The fifth ranked-versus-ranked matchup of the opening week in women’s college basketball did not disappoint. Caitlin Clark and Georgia Amoore traded 3-pointers, Elizabeth Kitley had a double-double, and Iowa’s cast of supporting players asserted themselves in the paint.
When the dust settled, No. 3 Iowa topped No. 8 Virginia Tech 80-76 in front of an announced crowd of 15,196 fans at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Clark scored 44 points as the Ally Tipoff lived up to the hype.
Despite the defeat, Virginia Tech was extremely complimentary of the electric atmosphere in Charlotte.
“It was absolutely unreal, for our second game in November… It’s what you dream of when you come to college,” Amoore said. “To be put on the spotlight in an NBA arena with a great opponent, that’s just what you can dream of.”
Hokies coach Kenny Brooks added: “I’ve been in this arena before when Steph Curry was in here and it wasn’t this loud.”
What a game. We might see Iowa vs. VT again in the Final 4.
— Kelly Gramlich (@kellygramlich) November 10, 2023
An early season matchup like this between two teams that played in the Final Four last spring can tell us quite a bit about where they’re going and what sort of expectations we should have for these squads going forward.
Here’s what we learned about the Hawkeyes and the Hokies: