After losing their ACC opener to Duke, the Hokies were able to rebound in non-conference play, thumping Presbyterian 92-36. This was the largest win for the Hokies since a 105-36 victory over Houston Christian on November 16, 2023.
It was a much-needed result for Virginia Tech after coming out flat against the Blue Devils, as Tech’s offense got hot in their second to last non-conference game.
Outside of one missed game for Kilah Freelon due to injury, the starting lineup had stayed consistent until this game, with Leila Wells getting her first career start in the absence of Mackenzie Nelson due to Nelson not feeling well. Head Coach Meghan Duffy added it was “nothing serious.”
The Hokies found themselves in a first-half rout of the Blue Hose early on, going on a 20-4 run to start the game and holding the Blue Hose to only four more first-quarter points. It wasn’t a pretty scoring run, as mostly it was due to the quantity of shots the Hokies put up, shooting 7-21(33%), along with seven points from the line. By the end of the first frame, Virginia Tech led 22-8.
It would be much the same for the rest of the half, as Tech scored 24 more points at a considerably higher rate of 53% compared to Presbyterian's six points in the second quarter. By halftime, the Hokies lead by 32 points, 46-14, thanks to Samyah Suffren's 11 and Kilah Freelon's nine, with six other Hokies scoring in the first half.
Samyha Suffren led Virginia Tech with 17 points on 7-11 (63%) shooting for the game, while Freelon and Wells both added 13. Leila Wells set career highs in points (13), assists (5), and steals (5) in her first career start.
Considering the score, Virginia Tech's defense performed excellently, but Presbyterian made numerous mistakes, totaling 24 turnovers on the night. 15 of those turnovers came in the first half, resulting in 32 points off turnovers for Tech during the open 20 minutes. The Hokies limited the Blue Hose to 12-49 (24%) shooting from the field and 28 rebounds while the Hokies had 49 including 18 offensive rebounds.
Given the score differential, Tech’s freshmen were able to see the court early and often throughout the game, all notching career highs. Aniya Trent had nine points, two steals, and a block to lead the freshmen. Amani Jenkins had eight points on 4-4 (100%) shooting, and Spela Brecilj notched four points.
“I just thought we shared the ball well, it was great to see our freshman really be aggressive when we were out there between Amani [Jenkins], [Aniya Trent], and Spela [Brecilj], some great minutes overall,” Megan Duffy said. “It was just great to see them really contribute today.”
Next up for the Hokies is East Tennessee State on Sunday in Cassell Coliseum and will be their last test before fully submerging into conference play.
