Hokie ClubRICHMOND, Va. – Several career milestones were reached Thursday night as Virginia Tech fended off VCU, 77-66, inside the Siegel Center.
Freshman Jessica Dimaro shattered several program records with a dominant 23-point, 24-rebound double-double. She is the first player in program history to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game. Dimaro’s 24 rebounds set a new program standard, surpassing Elizabeth Kitley’s mark of 21, last reached on Jan. 17, 2021. Additionally, her 17 offensive rebounds set a program record, eclipsing the previous mark of 11 set by Utaha Drye on Feb. 2, 2009.
With the win, head coach Megan Duffy earned her 200th career victory and her 46th at the helm of the Hokies.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia Tech scored the first points of the contest as Dimaro grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback just 65 seconds in. After a VCU three-pointer on the next possession, Dimaro carried the load for the Hokies, getting to the free-throw line and putting Tech up 9-3 with 5:39 left. Through the first five minutes of play, the center tallied eight points and four rebounds. Carleigh Wenzel (4:59), Samyha Suffren (2:16) and Alyssa Latham (0:55) also chipped in from the charity stripe to help the Hokies take a 17-10 advantage into the second quarter.
VCU kept it close to open the second period, drawing within three, 18-15, with 6:18 left in the half. The Hokies worked down low to fend off the Rams’ attack as Aniya Trent, Dimaro and Latham scored all 13 of Tech’s points in the quarter. Latham scored eight points, the last coming on a free throw with 55 seconds on the clock. The Rams also made it to the stripe, knocking down a pair of free throws in the final 25 seconds to tie the game at 30 heading into the break.
Wenzel opened the second half with a quick four-point spurt on two layups to put the Hokies back in front, 34-33, with 9:00 left. Dimaro then broke her first record of the night, grabbing her 12th offensive rebound of the contest before scoring to give Tech a five-point edge, 38-33, at the 7:36 mark. Virginia Tech extended its lead as Latham (5:11) converted a second-chance basket before VCU put together a run to draw back within three, 44-41, at 3:44. The Hokies later went on a 7-0 run sparked by Wenzel’s triple (1:52) and led 55-47 heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Hokies surged offensively to start the fourth period, outscoring VCU 10-2 through the first three minutes and 17 seconds. Wenzel scored the final five points of the run on a three-pointer (7:26) in front of Virginia Tech’s bench and a layup (6:43), giving Tech a 64-49 lead. Tech maintained a 15-point advantage, 72-57, with 3:19 left, courtesy of Suffren’s fast-break jumper in the paint. Trent then grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a second-chance basket at 2:27 for the Hokies’ final points of the contest, helping Virginia Tech secure a 77-66 victory.
GAME NOTES
• Virginia Tech won its third straight in the series with VCU, the first since 2019
• It was also the Hokies’ first win against the Rams in Richmond since Jan. 8, 1995
• Tech won its first nonconference road game against an in-state opponent since Nov. 14, 2021, at George Mason (W, 81-52)
• Head coach Megan Duffy improves to 7-2 against the Commonwealth during her three years at the helm of the Hokies’ program
• Virginia Tech dominated the specialty statistics, out-scoring VCU significantly in second chance opportunities (26-0) and in the paint (52-32)
• This was the third instance of the Hokies’ scoring 50 or more points in the paint this season
• Three Tech players scored in double figures, led by Jessica Dimaro’s career-high 23 points
• Dimaro also finished with 24 rebounds, the second-most by a player in ACC history, and set several Virginia Tech program records
• Alyssa Latham finished with a season-high 19 while Carleigh Wenzel posted 17
• Aniya Trent recorded the first double figure rebounding effort of her career with 10 boards
• It was the first time since Nov. 4, 2025, where two Hokies had 10 or more rebounds in the same game
• Samyha Suffren was also a big help off the glass as she notched a season-best seven boards to go with eight points and two steals
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech returns to Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum on Sunday, Nov. 15 for a 2 p.m. start. The game will be aired on ACC Network Extra.