Instant Takeaways From Virginia Tech's 85-39 Blowout Win Over NC Central

Virginia Tech women's basketball won its season opener for the 13th straight campaign.

Virginia Tech Athletics

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech women's basketball pulled away in the opening minutes Monday evening at Cassell Coliseum, thundering over NC Central to the tune of an 85-39 final score.

Here are my three immediate takeaways from Virginia Tech's dominant 46-point victory over the Eagles.

No. 1: The Hokies' victory Monday was a sloppy one, though it can afford to play sloppy.

NC Central ranked No. 341 of 363 teams per Bart Torvik's metrics entering the game. The projected margin of the game on Torvik's site leaned to Virginia Tech by 34.3 points, a threshhold the Hokies were on the doorstep of by halftime.

Still, it wasn't perfect, though nonconference tune-up games rarely are. Guard Carleigh Wenzel made just one of her first eight shots and was 1-of-5 from beyond the arc at halftime, though she scored a team-high 11 points in the opening half. Wenzel ended the game with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting.

"Proud of our team six in double figures," Duffy said

Virginia Tech made just three of its 11 3-point looks in the first frame — it was 1-for-7 from deep in the second quarter — but its defense forced the Eagles into tough, constrained situations throughout. The Hokies were 34-of-78 from the field and 5-of-24 from 3-point range, but they held NC Central to a 14-of-60 clip.

NC Central made just five of its 32 shots in the first half, failing to find any prolonged rhythm. It went 6-of-12 in the third quarter but regressed to a 3-of-14 clip (21.4%) in the finale frame.

In terms of key positives, Virginia Tech made six of its first nine shots to open the third quarter and held the Eagles to a 0.10 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Hokies shot 34-for-78 (43.6%) in their season opening win.

No. 2: Virginia Tech's defense was swarming throughout.

Take it with a caveat given the level of the opponent, but Virginia Tech's defense was on its A-game throughout much of Monday's opener. The Hokies held NC Central to a drab 11-of-45 game-wide clip and kept the Eagles scoreless from the field (0-for-13) in the second quarter.

Even in Virginia Tech's subpar second quarter — it scored just 15 points — the defense proved to be the saving grace, helping the Hokies maintain their gargantuan lead despite offensive struggles. Tech held NC Central to only four points. And all four of those points came from the free-throw line; the Eagles shot 0-for-13 from the field in the second half.

NC Central also committed 29 turnovers, which Virginia Tech turned into 30 fast-break points.

"That was the emphasis coming into our first game — having really good effort on energy because that's where a lot of things start," said guard Leila Wells. "Our defense turns into offense. We forced them into 29 turnovers — so I think [it's] really good for us."

No. 3: Virginia Tech's next opponents may not offer much to glean from by the scoreboard, though its impact may be felt later down the line.

Due to the ample lead, Virginia Tech had the opportunity to play freshmen Kaleo Anderson, Francesca Baldassarre, and Arianna Harris-Mott, while Kate Sears — a redshirt freshman under the NCAA's old eligibility rules — got her first playing time, as well.

Anderson scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, while Sears was 1-of-6 for two points. Sears, a guard from Boone, S.C., tallied five assists, tied for the team high with sophomore forward Aniya Trent.

Freshman Jessica Dimaro, who comes from Japan, tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds in her first collegiate game.

"She has a motor, she cares about rebounding, she wants to be great defensively," Duffy siad. "I thought she set the tone for our team right off the bat, which was great for her to get some experience with that. We see it every day in practice; she's capable of getting big numbers on the rebounding side, whether that's on the offensive glass or obviously owning the paint inside."

Her double-double was the first double double with at least 13 points and 13 rebounds by a Virginia Tech freshman since Elizabeth Kitley on Feb. 16, 2020, per Virginia Tech communications.

"I'm not surprised," Suffren said. "The way they practice and the way they show out everyday... it's not a surprise to the team — because we know what they can do. Kaleo can get downhill; she can shoot, three-level scorer. Amani [Jenkins] can do the same, pick-and-pop, anything. And then, we have Jessie [Dimaro]; she's athletic, can get downhill, she has good IQ. It's just the best of both worlds with all three of them."

It also provided ample opportunities for Virginia Tech's sophomores, who will face heightened expectations as they take on larger roles this season. Trent garnered her first career-start, logging two points, three boards, five rebounds and two steals. Jenkins was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field for 13 points, adding on four rebounds, too.

Those experiences could prove vital for Virginia Tech come tournament time, particularly if the Hokies need to make adjustments to their regular rotation.

What's Next?

Virginia Tech's next game is against Delaware on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.