Virginia Tech (13-5) evened out its conference record after a dominant 78-56 win against the Boston College (4-15), its second consecutive ACC victory.
The game started slow for both teams until the Hokies got into rhythm at the halfway point of the first quarter. Boston College couldn’t hit a shot, starting 4-14, and had a 3-minute period without a bucket, allowing Virginia Tech to go on a 19-6 run to end the quarter, aided by eight made free throw attempts split by Mel Daley and Kilah Freelon. Tech led 22-9 at the end of the first frame.
Free throws came often in this matchup, with 50 total free throws by both teams. Virginia Tech went 17-for-19 (89%), and Boston College went 23-for-31 (74%) from the charity stripe.
The rest of the game would be much the same, with the Hokies increasing their lead to 19 by halftime. Freelon led the team with nine points, while Daley had eight.
The Eagles couldn’t handle the athleticism and size of the Hokies as they blew past Boston College defenders for easy buckets in the paint, where they scored 40 points. Leila Well and Samayah Suffren took advantage and scored seven and nine points, respectively.
There was also a mismatch on the glass, as Virginia Tech brought down 37 rebounds to Boston College’s 19. Tech was led by Freelon with nine rebounds, but she left the game in the third quarter after her ankle buckled.
In the second half, the Hokies were able to close out the game. While Virginia Tech struggled from beyond the arc, going 5-for-18 (27%), they shot the ball consistently, never falling below a 40% field goal rate in any of the four quarters. Increasing the advantage to 27 in the fourth quarter and receiving little resistance from the Eagles.
The Hokies took an early advantage and handled business, leading for 39 minutes and not trailing at any stage during the game. It wasn't the cleanest game, as Virginia Tech committed 26 total fouls, resulting in Amani Jenkins and Mackenzie Nelson fouling out and the team turning the ball over 18 times, but the talent game between the Hokies and Eagles loomed large.
Virginia Tech was led by Carys Baker, who totaled 17 points on a 6-for-12 (50%) clip and went 3-for-8 (37.5%) from beyond the arc with four rebounds. Behind her, Carleigh Wenzel and Daley had 10 points, of which four came from the free throw line for each.
The Hokies look to extend the winning streak to three with a trip to Texas as they take on SMU (7-9) this Thursday.
