BLACKSBURG- The Virginia Tech women's basketball is set to tip off the 2019-20 season Tuesday night as they welcome the Saint Francis Red Flash onto Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum. Tip is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
The Hokies, who are anchored by experienced players, have several new faces on the bench in this, head coach Kenny Brooks' fourth in Blacksburg. He is 3-0 in season openers with the Hokies.
GAME INFORMATION
Virginia Tech vs. Saint Francis
November 4, 2019 - 7 p.m.
Live stats
BROADCAST
ACC Network Extra
Play by play: Bailey Angle
Color: Mack McCarthy
The Red Flash
Saint Francis is under first year head coach Keila Whittington, who joined the Red Flash after a stint as an assistant coach at Marist College. Last season the squad finished with a 16-17 record
The Red Flash were picked to finish second in the Northeast Conference and return three starters.
THE MATCHUP WITH SAINT FRANCIS
The Hokies and Red Flash are set to meet for the second time in series history. The first matchup in 2004 saw the Hokies come away with a 77-62 victory at Cassell Colisuem. Current Virginia Tech assistant coach Britney Anderson scored four points in 13 minutes in that contest.
NOTABLE
OPENING TIP OF THE 2019-20 SEASON
•Tech gets their season underway with a matchup against a program they have only faced once before in 2004, St. Francis (Pa.).
•The Hokies who were chosen 10th out of the 15-team ACC in October will look to once again exceed expectations.
BROOKS BUILDING AROUND THE CORE FOUR
•Only four Hokies; Kendyl Brooks, Aisha Sheppard, Trinity Baptiste and Dara Mabrey have played a minute of basketball for Tech coming into the 2019-20 season.
•Brooks, the lone four-year player on the roster has 43 starts in 103 career games played. She is up to fourth all-time at Tech in career 3-pointers made with 160. She set a freshman record with 62 made in 2016-17 and has a career high of 21 points after connecting on seven triples at Boston College (2/26/17).
•Sheppard ranks eighth all-time in 3-point shooting, with 135. She broke Brooks' record in 2018 with 76 made threes.
•Baptiste, a JUCO transfer worked her way into the starting lineup where she was a staple for the final 19 games of the season in 2018-19. She averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds a season ago and was the squad's best free throw shooter at 85%. She also shot .496 from the field and .553 from beyond the arc.
•Mabrey, a highly touted point guard from New Jersey started every game last season and earned All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 11.2 points and 2.7 assists per game. Mabrey set a program best with 80 made 3-pointers and did so shooting at 46.2%, the third best mark in the nation.
NEW FACES IN MAROON AND ORANGE
•Tech has seven newcomers to the program this season, including two graduate transfers who are eligible immediately and four freshmen.
•The Hokies' roster now features seven student-athletes who are 6-feet tall or above.
HOKIES DOMINATING NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
•Since his arrival in Blacksburg in 2016, Coach Brooks has owned the non-conference portion of the season. In two of his three seasons, he has led the Hokies to perfect records heading into ACC play.
•Inlcuding the postseason, the Hokies are 49-8 under Brooks in the non-conference.
•Brooks is 10-3 against schools from the other Power 4 conferences during his tenure in Blacksburg, including a perfect 4-0 mark against the SEC.
52 STRAIGHT WINS AT CASSELL COLISEUM
•The Hokies have won each of the last 52 home games against non-conference opposition including postseason competition.
•Tech's last home loss in the non-conference came December 6, 2014 against Longwood.
•The Hokies begin the season with six home games out of 11 in the non-conference portion of the season leading up to the first ACC game 12/29 at Florida State. Four of the other five games are at a neutral site.
NEXT TIME ON THE HARDWOOD
•The Hokies will travel to Fairfax, Virginia on Sunday, November 10 to take on in-state foe George Mason. Tipoff is set for 2 PM from Eagle Bank Arena.
•The two squads last saw each other in March of 2018, meeting in the second round of the WNIT. Tech won that meeting in Cassell 78-69 behind 23 points from Taylor Emery, one of five Hokies in double figures.
•Tech leads the all-time series 7-3.
NEXT TIME ON CARILION CLINIC COURT
•Tech will return to Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum on Friday, November 15 at 7 PM on ACC Network Extra.
•Last season in Lynchburg, Tech earned a 72-61 victory over the Flames led by Dara Mabrey who scored 13 points in her first collegiate road game.
•Tech owns the series, leading 15-1 all-time.
