Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech dominated from start to finish on Tuesday night inside Cassell Coliseum, powering past Presbyterian, 92-36, behind several career-highs.
Leila Wells, who earned her first career start, shined with 13 points while shooting 5-9 (0.555) from the field, five assists, five steals, a block, and zero turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia Tech opened the night with an 8-0 run and never looked back. Carleigh Wenzel struck first with a three, while Kilah Freelon and Mel Daley touched the paint early. The Hokies then ran away on a 10-point stretch, the last basket of the run a transition layup from Wenzel (2:04) after she forced a Presbyterian turnover. The Blue Hose had the next four points, but two makes from the line allowed Tech to build a 16-point lead after the first quarter, 22-8.
The defensive pressure intensified as Virginia Tech held Presbyterian to just two field goals in the second quarter. Both baskets came early for the Blue Hose as they saw their last fall through at the 6:44 mark. Freelon continued to dominate inside with six points in the period, to create a 23-point gap, 37-14, with 5:31 left. Suffren also added six points in the period, finishing multiple second-chance opportunities to help Tech stretch their lead past 30, 46-14, headed into the locker room. The Hokies’ shot 52.4 percent from the field (11-21) in the second frame.
Tech delivered their most efficient quarter of the night, shooting a blistering 80 percent (12-15) from the floor. Leila Wells knocked down back-to-back triples, the only two made in the period for the Hokies, to help her team to a 16-5 run to open the second half. Suffren chipped in six more points as Tech closed the quarter ahead 75-22, their largest margin of the night.
Sophie Swanson was involved early in the fourth quarter action with the Hokies’ first five points. She drove for a layup at 6:32 and then finished with another at 6:24 after Wells intercepted Presbyterian’s inbound pass. Amani Jenkins added six of her eight points in the final ten minutes, contributing to Tech’s balanced effort to secure a 92-36 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Virginia Tech improves to 6-0 against non-conference competition inside Cassell Coliseum this season
- This was the fourth result in the six-game history that Presbyterian scored less than 40 points while Tech hit their highest scoring mark
- Tech has forced 20 or more turnovers in eight of the last nine games
- The Hokies’ turned 24 turnovers into 41 points
- It was the fifth victory of the season for the Hokies’ decided by more than 20 points
- Virginia Tech dominated 49-28 on the glass with a season-high 18 offensive rebounds
- 52.2 percent of Tech’s scoring production came from the bench
- Guard Samyha Suffren matched her career-high 17 points that she earlier this season to go with seven field goals (7-11, 0.636)
- Kilah Freelon and Leila Wells rounded out the double figure scorers with 13 points apiece
- Freelon was an efficient 6-7 (0.857) from the field and recorded seven rebounds
- Wells was impactful in her 31 minutes on the floor, setting career-highs in minutes, points, assists (5), steals (5), and block
- Wells became the first Tech player to have at least 10 points, five assists, and five steals since Chanette Hicks did it against High Point on Dec. 16, 2017
- Guard Mel Daley, who set a season-high with two blocks, also totaled sic points and four rebounds
- Forward Carys Baker was Tech’s leader off glass with eight boards
- Guard Sophie Swanson contributed six points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in her 21 minutes on the floor, all season-bests
- The Hokies’ three freshmen all set new career-marks in scoring: Aniya Trent (9), Amani Jenkins (8), and Špela Brecelj (4)
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech stays at Cassell Coliseum on Sunday, Dec. 14 to take on ETSU at 4 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with men’s basketball.