No. 14 Notre Dame women roll to big 82-53 win over No. 11 Va Tech, minus Kitley, in ACC semis

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- — Sonia Citron scored 19 points, Maddy Westbeld added 18 and No. 14 Notre Dame defeated No. 11 Virginia Tech 82-53 on Saturday in the first semifinal of the ACC Tournament.

The fourth-seeded Irish were 9 of 14 on 3-pointers and shot 52% overall to hand the Hokies, who were without three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, the worst loss ever by a top seed in the tournament. Kitley injured a knee in the regular-season finale.

Notre Dame, in the championship game for the first time since 2019, faces second-seeded and 10th-ranked North Carolina State, a 69-43 winner over sixth-seeded Florida State.

Hannah Hidalgo scored 15 points for the Irish (25-6), who have won seven straight, the last four over ranked Virginia Tech, who they have beaten six straight, and Louisville. Anna DeWolfe added 14 points, hitting 4 of 5 on 3-pointers.

Georgia Amoore scored 24 points for Virginia Tech (24-7), which shot just 30%. Olivia Summiel had 10 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.

Notre Dame took control by scoring the first 15 points of the third quarter with the 20-0 run spanning halftime producing a 48-23 lead.

Citron started it with a jumper, after scoring the last five of the first half, and had another basket before closing it by converting a three-point play.

Kylee Watson got the lead to 27 with 4 1/2 minutes to go but just a half-minute later left the game with with a leg injury and was helped to the locker room. She returned to the bench on crutches.

Amoore did her best to keep Virginia Tech in the game with 11 points but with Hidalgo making the last seven Irish points the lead was 61-40 entering the fourth quarter.

DeWolfe had a pair of 3s in a 12-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Westbeld score Notre Dame's first seven points and the Irish went on to take a 33-23 lead at the half. It was 15-12 after one quarter and then Hidalgo and Citron opened the second quarter with 3s. Watson added two free throws to make it 23-12.

Amoore had six straight points for the Hokies but Citron had a three-point play and a pair of free throws to put the Irish up 10 at the break.

Notre Dame only shot 37% but was 5 of 8 behind the arc. Virginia Tech was 3 of 12 on 3s and shot just 29%. The Irish shot 66% in the second half.

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