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GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Taylor Emery had 28 points and nine rebounds, Aisha Sheppard added 19 points with five 3-pointers and Virginia Tech used a 29-5 fourth quarter to rally past Syracuse 85-70 on Thursday to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

Syracuse led by 14 points at halftime and nine after three quarter but Virginia Tech opened the fourth on a 17-0 run to take an 73-65 lead. Sheppard made two 3-pointers during the spurt and Emery scored seven points. Syracuse missed all 16 of its field-goal attempts in the fourth, including 10 from distance.

Ninth-seeded Virginia Tech will face fourth-ranked and top-seed Louisville on Friday.

Alexis Jean added 11 points for Virginia Tech (18-12) and Regan Magarity grabbed 13 rebounds. The Hokies knocked off the Orange 73-64 earlier this season for the program's first victory inside the Carrier Dome.

Tiana Mangakahia had 17 points and nine assists for No. 8 seed Syracuse (23-7).

GAME INFORMATION
Score: #9 Virginia Tech 85, #8 Syracuse 70
Records: Syracuse 22-8; Virginia Tech 18-12
Location: Greensboro Coliseum; Greensboro, N.C.
Attendance: 2,886
Syracuse starters: Mangakahia, Cooper, Drummond, Strautmane, Finklea-Guity
Virginia Tech starters: Emery, Sheppard, Magarity, Camp, Jean

NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS
- The Hokies trailed 65-52 with 1:25 remaining in the third-quarter, but closed the game on a stunning 33-5 tear to advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals … The closing flurry included a 21-0 run, and Syracuse went without a field goal the final 11:54 of the game.
- Virginia Tech junior Taylor Emery keyed her team’s comeback and finished with a game-high 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the floor … Emery recorded her 15th game of the season with 20-or-more points.
- Freshman Aisha Sheppard added 19 points for the Hokies, two shy of her career-high 21 at Notre Dame on Feb. 22.
- Virginia Tech’s Regan Magarity pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to lead the Hokies to a 43-29 advantage on the boards.
- Virginia Tech is now 5-13 in ACC Tournament play, including 2-0 in the second round.
- The Orange missed their final 18 shots from the floor … the Hokies shot 60.9 percent from the floor in the second half, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
- Syracuse guard Tiana Mangakahia led the Orange with 17 points and dished out nine assists to give her 297 for the season … Mangakahia just missed her 15th double-double of the year.
- Syracuse is now 4-5 all-time in the ACC Tournament, including a 2-2 mark in second-round games.
- The Hokies are now 2-0 versus the Orange this season with Thursday’s win and their 73-64 regular-season victory at the Carrier Dome on Feb. 1 … It marks the first time since 2003 that the Hokies have scored consecutive victories over the Orange …. The all-time series between the schools is tied at 6-6.

TEAM LEADERS
Syracuse
Points: Tiana Mangakahia 17
Rebounds: Gabriella Cooper 7
Assists: Tiana Mangakahia 9

Virginia Tech
Points: Taylor Emery 28
Rebounds: Regan Magarity 13
Assists: Aisha Sheppard 4

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Halftime: Syracuse, 25-22.
Ties: 2
Lead Changes: 3
Largest Lead: Virginia Tech by 15, 4th – 1:42; Syracuse by 16, 3rd – 6:54
Syracuse led for: 28:44
Virginia Tech led for: 9:22
Game was tied for: 1:16

UP NEXT
Virginia Tech advances to face No. 1 seed Louisville (29-2) in Friday’s 2 p.m. quarterfinal game. The Cardinals won 67-56 when the teams met at Louisville on Jan. 7.