The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team had a memorable season in 2016-17, hitting several milestones and advancing to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. Here is a look back at the memorable year.
March 28: Kenny Brooks announced as the seventh head coach in program history. Brooks compiled a 337-122 (.756) record during 14 seasons at James Madison, guiding the Dukes to 11 consecutive postseason appearances including six NCAA bids and five trips to the WNIT. Over the last 11 seasons at JMU, Brooks’ squads never won fewer than 24 games, averaging 26.3 wins per year over that span.
Nov. 11: Opening day of the 2016-17 season, marking Brooks’ first win as head coach, 71-52, over UNC Asheville. Tech season-opening records improve to 40-10 overall and 21-4 at home.
Nov. 16: Vanessa Panousis became career 3-point leader at Tech against Presbyterian with her long-distance shot with 6:05 to go in the game. She moved into the top spot, eclipsing Carrie Mason, who tallied 200 treys in 2002-06. Panousis finished her career with 269.
Nov. 27: Hokies defeated Tennessee 67-63, marking the second consecutive win over Lady Vols. It was also Brooks’ third-best career win and earned Chanette Hicks espnW National Player of the Week honors.
Dec. 1: Tech won its ACC/BigTen Challenge game, 76-67, over Nebraska. It marks the first time the Hokies have won back-to-back challenge games in the history of the series. Tech defeated Penn State in 2015.
Dec. 5: The Hokies cracked the top 25 for first time in over a decade. Prior to then, the last time the Hokies were ranked was Jan. 23, 2006 at 25th.
Dec. 11 & 18: Virginia Tech recorded back-to-back 90-plus point games with 98 points versus Bowling Green and 92 points at Auburn. It is just the third time in program history the Hokies have put up 90-plus in consecutive games. Hicks also had a memorable moment in the Auburn game, handing out 13 assists to tie the Tech single-game record. Lisa Witherspoon hit the mark twice in 1999, while Lisa Leftwich set the record in 1992.
Jan. 2: Three Hokies recorded double-doubles against North Carolina. It was the third time in program history a trio of Hokies have recorded double-doubles and the first time against an ACC opponent. Regan Magarity put up career numbers with 24 points and 17 rebounds. Sidney Cook added 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Hicks notched 10 points and 10 assists.
Hot Start: Hokies opened the season with a 15-0 record, marking the program’s second-best start behind an 18-0 clip in 1998-99.
Jan. 9: Tech moved to 15th in AP rankings, its highest ranking since 1999.
Jan. 16: Virginia Tech allowed just six turnovers in a 72-70 win over Wake Forest, tying for the fewest amount of team turnovers in a game for the Hokies. Tech also had six at Georgia Tech in 2015 and at Notre Dame in 2002.
Dec. 30-Jan. 22 – Magarity recorded seven consecutive double-doubles, breaking the program record of six set twice previously: Uju Ugoka hit it in 2013, while Karen Garbis held the original record with six in 1978.
Feb. 9: Hicks had seven steals versus Louisville, tying the most for the program against an ACC foe and setting a new Tech single-season record. She broke her own record of 91 set during her rookie season. She also set the sophomore class assists record during the contest, breaking Lisa Witherspoon’s sophomore tally of 124 set 1996-97.
Feb. 19: Magarity tallied a pair of blocks versus Virginia to set Tech single-season ACC record. She moved past Nare Diawara, who tallied 23 in league play in 2006-07.
Feb. 23: The Hokies recognized seniors Sidney Cook, Samantha Hill, Tara Nahodil and Vanessa Panousis prior to the game against Miami. The group helped rebuild the program, as the Hokies have recorded back-to-back .500+ seasons for the first time since the mid-2000s. In 2016, the quartet helped get the team into postseason play for the first time in nine seasons and helped the Hokies to return in 2017.
Feb. 26: Tech set the single-game record for most 3-pointers with 15 at Boston College. It eclipses the previous tally of 14 set several times in the history of the program. Freshman Kendyl Brooks dropped in seven treys at BC, tying the most in an ACC contest in program history. The Hokies also set a new team record for single-season 3-pointers made.
March 3: Panousis, Magarity and Hill were named to the All-ACC Academic Team. This made the third academic team honor for Panousis. It marked the most Hokies on the academic team in a season since Laura Haskins, Brittany Cook and Amber Hall earned the honors in 2008.
March 13: Hokies earned a second consecutive bid to the WNIT.
March 17: Tech defeated Rider 76-62 in the opening round at Cassell Coliseum to advance.
March 19: The Hokies downed Navy 75-64 in front of a home crowd to move into the WNIT Sweet 16, marking the first time the Hokies have won multiple games in the postseason since 2002.
March 23: Virginia Tech knocked off Penn State 64-55 in Happy Valley. Hicks, Hill, Panousis, Cook and Kendyl Brooks all hit double digits to lead Tech past the Lady Lions.
March 25: Tech faced Michigan in quarterfinals, falling to the 2017 WNIT champion Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
MISCELLANEOUS MILESTONES
Kenny Brooks – Brooks’ career record improved to 357-136 (.724) after guiding the Hokies to their first 20-win season since 2005-06.
Chanette Hicks – Hicks recorded 123 steals on the season, setting records in the following: sophomore class, single-season, and moved into first place on the career versus ACC opponents list. She is third on the overall career steals list. In addition, Hicks tallied 178 assists, setting the sophomore class record and is just shy of moving into the career top-10 list.
Vanessa Panousis – Panousis finished her career ranked seventh in career points with 1,379. She holds the career 3-point record with 269 and the career free throw percentage record at 84.6 percent. Panousis finished ninth on the career assist list with 341.
Regan Magarity – Magarity set the single-season rebound record with 316. She set a record for consecutive double-doubles in the season with seven straight and finished the year with 15 total for the second-most in the ACC.
Kendyl Brooks – Brooks set a freshman class record for 3-pointers made with 62. She broke teammate Panousis’ rookie season tally of 50 set in 2013-14.
Virginia Tech set a single-season record in 3-pointers made with 247 and points scored with 2,405. The Hokies recorded 29 double-doubles, marking the second-most in a season and had multiple wins in postseason for first time since 2002.
— Courtesy of VT Athletics
