Three Big Takeaways From Virginia Tech's 83-82 Victory Over Virginia

In a game defined by massive swings and high-stakes rivalry emotions, Virginia Tech secured a season sweep of the Commonwealth Clash, winning 83-82 over Virginia. The Hokies (22-8, 12-6 ACC) nearly saw a 23-point lead evaporate in a hostile John Paul Jones Arena, but ultimately found enough "grit," as Coach Megan Duffy put it, to close the regular season on a high note.

Here are three takeaways from the regular season finale.

1. Carleigh Wenzel arguably had her best game as a Hokie.

Guard Carleigh Wenzel didn't just set a career-high with 29 points; she proved she could carry the emotional and tactical weight of an away rivalry game. Wenzel was lethal early, scoring seven points in what was a 27-point first quarter for Virginia Tech. But with the game on the line and the Hokies down one, 82-81, she drew a foul with 1.7 seconds to play and sank two ice-cold free throws to secure the win for her team.

"I had no doubt that she was going to make those two free throws," Duffy said. "Her poise was the best part about her today."

In addition to her 29 points, Wenzel added four rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. When Virginia's star guard Kymora Johnson was fueling a Cavalier comeback in the second half, Duffy switched Wenzel onto her and provided a "resistance" to Johnson.

2. Virginia Tech's blazing start proved too much for UVA to overcome.

While the final score suggests a neck-and-neck battle, the reality is that Virginia Tech won this game in the first 10 minutes. The Hokies came out "guns a blazing," as Coach Duffy put it, lighting up the scoreboard in the first quarter. The Hokies knocked down 10 three-pointers on the afternoon, five of which came in a blistering first quarter that resulted in a 14-point cushion.

The cushion eventually grew to as many as 23 points, creating a mountain that was one step too high for Virginia to climb, despite its furious second-half rally.

"We didn't start the game great at all," said Virginia's head coach, Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. "But I thought we battled back and showed a lot of fight down the stretch."

UVA's success came inside the paint. In paint points, the Cavaliers outscored Virginia Tech 48-24. It wasn't just one or two players that were able to get inside; it was a group effort from guards like Johnson and Paris Clark to forwards like Tabitha Amanze and Sa'Myah Smith.

"We obviously got off to a tremendous start," Duffy said. "UVA made some adjustments, and we just kind of hung in there enough to keep it close."

3. The Hokies are riding the "we-over-me" mentality to Atlanta.

Beyond the box score, this win serves as a springboard into the ACC tournament. Finishing the regular season 12-6 in conference play after not being "ranked that high coming in," as Wenzel noted, proves that this team is gelling at exactly the right time. The victory showcased a balanced attack with five players in double figures, including a gutsy double-double from Mackenzie Nelson (10 points, 11 assists).

"Going into the tournament with momentum is what we wanted, for sure," Wenzel said. "Everybody being able to kind of do a 'we over me' mentality. Nobody was worried about how the game affected themselves. It was more of a how can we get a team win?"

Coach Duffy echoed the sentiment, hoping that the gritty nature of the win prepares them for the postseason.

"Hopefully, this gives us a great amount of confidence going into the tournament in Atlanta," Duffy said.

Virginia Tech has secured a first-round bye in the ACC tournament and will be back in action on Thursday, Mar. 5. Since other ACC teams are still playing, the Hokies will have to wait and see who their opponent will be in the second round of the conference tournament.