Cook and Copeland Too Much For 49ers “Losing wasn’t an option today,” Virginia Tech Lady Hokie Kirby Copeland said after the Hokies beat the Charlotte 49ers 80-68 in Cassell Coliseum Saturday night. Tech was able to bounce back from the embarrassing loss to William & Mary Tuesday night thanks to the leadership of Copeland and first time starter Brittany Cook. Cook found out on Friday night that there was a possibility of starting Saturday night’s game because Head Coach Beth Dunkenburger wanted her to slow down Charlotte’s offensive attack. Cook called her dad that night and let him know that he better not be late for the show that she was about to put on. Not only did Cook spark the defense, but she also had a game high of 36 minutes and a personal best of 23 points on 10-14 shooting and five assists. After Charlotte jumped out to a quick six point lead, the teams traded baskets until the 7:38 mark when Tech led 24-22. The Hokies then went on an eight point run over the next two minutes. They held on to that margin, leading 42-34 at half time. In all, there were nine lead changes and one tie during the first half. Half way through the second half, the 49ers cut the Tech lead to one point at 54-53. However, Tech responded with a 19-3 run that was too much for Charlotte to overcome. Tech finished the game with four players in double digits. In addition to Cook’s 23 points, Copeland scored 23 of her own while Nare Diawara finished with 15 and Britney Anderson finished with 10. In addition to the 23 point game high, Copeland had a career high of seven assists and was a solid 8-10 from the free throw line. On the night, the Hokies shot 52 percent from the field to Charlotte’s 45 percent. The Hokies also led in steals (11-7), turnovers (20-21), rebounds (37-32) and points in the pain (42-36). The Hokies also stayed out of foul trouble by only committing 12 team fouls to the 49ers 21. Charlotte was paced by Traci Ray, Danielle Burgin and Wendy Stywalt with 13, 12 and 11 points respectively. Charlotte’s head coach, Amanda Butler, said, “We got outplayed on the boards again. They (Virginia Tech) pursued it a little bit harder than we did,” in reference to how the game played out. Next, the Hokies travel to Liberty on Tuesday to take on the Flames in Lynchburg.
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