Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Matilda Ekh opened the game with a three pointer and Tech raced to 7-0 advantage in the first 60 seconds and they wouldn’t let their foot off the gas starting the season with an impressive 99-57 victory over visiting UNC Wilmington.
For Virginia Tech’s Megan Duffy, it marked the first win of her tenure in Blacksburg and kept her a perfect 8-0 in season openers as a head coach.
The first quarter also saw the Virginia Tech debut of guard Lani White who scored her first on a layup. The lead then stretched to 15-0 as Virginia Tech was able to keep up the offensive pressure.
Mackenzie Nelson also had her competitive debut as the redshirt freshman was the first Hokies off of the bench. Virginia Tech went on another run to end the first quarter 34-11.
To start off the second quarter, Carys Baker got a layup to fall and once again the Hokies were spectacular as they were able to continue dominating on both ends of the floor. They recorded six steals and four blocks against UNCW in the first half and proved they could take care of the basketball with six less turnovers than their opponent.
The first half also saw three Hokies in double figures as Baker led all scorers with 12 points, Rose Micheaux had 10 points, and freshman Kayl Peterson also contributed 10 points. Tech led at the break 55-23.
The start of the third quarter opened with a return from the starting five, as White got the first points of the half with a layup. Ekh continued to shine offensively as she scored on back-to-back possessions in the middle of the third bringing her to 14 points. She then added four more throughout the half and ended the night 7-for-12 from the field with 18 points in addition to her nine rebounds and four assists.
Coming off the bench for the Hokies, Samyha Suffren was also able to bring energy as she recorded eight points, three steals, and four assists on the night.
The Hokies then established their largest lead of the night, at 43 points late in the fourth.
They will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, Nov. 10th at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2 in the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte.
Notable
•Micheaux did a great job with her spacing and finishing around the rim, ending the night going 7-9 from the field with 14 points and five rebounds
•The Hokies were excellent on the glass, outrebounding UNCW 41-21
•Tech scored 68 points in the paint
•Virginia Tech held UNCW to a 37.5 field goal percentage as the Seahawks went just 21-56 from the field
•The Hokies hit eight triples on the night, while holding the opposition to just four
•Carleigh Wenzel was also among the leading scorers as she contributed a career-high 14 points and also had five rebounds and five assists
•Five athletes made their Virginia Tech debuts in the game and all 10 Hokies who entered the game scored a field goal.