Women's Power Rankings: Virginia Tech coming on strong down stretch - ESPN

Virginia Tech center Elizabeth Kitley said that having previously gone through one senior day a year ago made her a little more prepared for the emotions of the second one. But there were still some tears shed Sunday as she played her last regular-season home game at Blacksburg's Cassell Coliseum.

She made it a great one, scoring 34 points in a 74-62 victory over North Carolina that pushed the 23-4 Hokies into the top five of ESPN's women's college basketball Power Rankings for the first time this season, at No. 4.

Virginia Tech has won 10 consecutive games and clinched at least a share of its first ACC regular-season title at 14-2. Add that to last season's first ACC tournament championship and first trip to the Final Four and the 6-foot-6 Kitley has left a legacy at Virginia Tech that's as tall as she is. And she isn't finished yet. The Hokies secured the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament on Sunday, regardless of the result of their final two regular-season contests.

Kitley went through senior day last year but opted to use the COVID-19 waiver and return for a fifth season. The two-time ACC player of the year is averaging 22.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. In ESPN's most recent WNBA mock draft, she was the No. 12 pick (Atlanta Dream).

Point guard Georgia Amoore — the «Robin» to Kitley's «Batman» — is a fourth-year senior and currently projected as the No. 9 pick (Dallas Wings) in the WNBA draft, although she could return for a fifth college season. Amoore had 11 assists on Sunday to become Virginia Tech's all-time leader in the category (636) along with 19 points.

North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart didn't nitpick her own team's defense against Kitley and Amoore and instead gave credit to the top guard-post