Three Takeaways from Virginia Tech Women's Basketball 68-64 Victory Over Florida

Kaden Reinhard breaks down three takeaways from Virginia Tech's 68-64 victory.

Three takeaways from Virginia Tech Women's Basketball 68-64 victory over Florida. | Virginia Tech Athletics.

On Thursday, the Virginia Tech Hokies defeated the Florida Gators at home in a closely contested affair, 68-64. Here are three takeaways from the contest:

ACC > SEC Challenge pic.twitter.com/YVPaPInKrB

— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) December 5, 2025

No. 1: Carys Baker continues to impress.

In Tech's final game in the Virgin Islands, against Oregon State, Carys Baker had a season-high 20 points. Tonight, she tallied 23.

"I have really good point guards," Baker exclaimed. "I would say that helps a lot, just having Mac [Mackie Nelson] and Carleigh [Wenzel] bringing up the ball."

Nelson and Wenzel combined for nine assists in the contest, spacing the floor all night to allow Baker the ease to take full charge. Inside the arc, Baker was on point, even knocking down a long two straight on the three-point line on her first shot attempt.

Baker ultimately shot 8-for-10 (80%) the perimeter against the Gators, adding on two shots from distance in her stellar offensive night. On top of this, Baker also notched her first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.

No. 2: Tech responded to physicality well.

Florida made it clear early that it would attack with physical play for all 40 minutes, from a full-court press on defense to a well-executed offensive scheme that attacked the paint heavily.

Gators sophomore Liv McGill sits third in the nation in points per game with 26.3 points per game, also commanding the offense with six assists per game.

McGill got to the paint with ease, taking 22 shot attempts from inside the perimeter, earning five different trips to the free-throw line on physical finishes. Kilah Freelon teetered in foul trouble as the game progressed, picking up two fouls in the first and fouling out with three minutes of action left.

It wasn't only Freelon who had foul trouble, either, as both McGill and Gift Ezekiel fouled out for Florida in the fourth. In total, there were 39 personal fouls in the battle.

No. 3: The Hokies have ramped up for conference play.

Hokies head coach Megan Duffy has been preparing her squad all season for upcoming challenges.

From scheduling the Coastal Carolina game earlier in the season on just a single day's rest in preparation for the Virgin Islands, to the Hokies playing two Power Four squads (BYU, Florida) within their last three matchups and ramping up for the conference opener against Duke on December 7 at 2 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN2).

The ACC/SEC Challenge, which began in 2022, brings a litmus test for both conferences in the early stages of the season, seeing where they line up against talented competition without the stress of conference play.

Tech opens ACC play at home in Cassell Coliseum, a bonus for a strenuous stretch of games that will commence on Sunday.

"It was a great atmosphere [tonight]," Duffy said. "We're fortunate that we get our first ACC game here in Cassell; it'll be a great environment on Sunday, having a really good team come into our building."