Three Takeaways From Virginia Tech Women's Basketball's 82-62 Loss To NC State

The Hokies lost their second straight contest, following a seven-game winning streak.

Carleigh Wenzel looking to make a play against Duke. | Virginia Tech Athletic

Virginia Tech women's basketball could not recover from a lopsided second quarter Sunday afternoon, falling 82-62 to NC State at Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies were outscored 25-8 in the second frame and trailed by double digits the rest of the way.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

FINAL | Tech 62, NC State 82

— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) February 8, 2026

1. The second quarter changed everything.

Virginia Tech's start was solid. The Hokies (18-7, 8-5 ACC) shot efficiently early, shared the ball and matched NC State (17-7, 10-3 ACC) in the first quarter shot-for-shot. What followed flipped the game on its head.

The very beginning of the second quarter was good for the Hokies. Guards Mel Daley and Samyha Suffren made jumpers on back-to-back possessions. However, Virginia Tech's next field goal came with just over a minute left in the half. The only points scored between was two made free throws by Carleigh Wenzel. In that time, NC State erupted for 21 points, eventually pulling ahead by 17 at the end of the second quarter.

Overall, Virginia Tech shot just 3-for-16 (18.8%) from the field in the second quarter. On the other hand, the Wolfpack continuously got downhill, lived in the paint and built a 44-27 lead going into halftime.

NC State guard Zoe Brooks pointed to defense as the spark for her team.

"Coach Moore always preaches let defense turn into offense," the junior guard said. "I think we did a really good job of that in the second quarter."

Virginia Tech head coach Megan Duffy echoed that sentiment from the opposite side, remarking that NC State's run was fueled by pace and aggression, rather than complexity.

"They don't run a ton of complicated stuff, but they're very good at what they do," said Duffy. "We were back on our heels too much instead of being the aggressor."

From that point on, Virginia Tech was chasing the whole game.

2. Zoe Brooks and Khamil Pierre controlled the game on their terms.

When Virginia Tech needed a stop, Brooks and Pierre repearedly made sure none came easy.

The duo combined for 50 points, attacking the paint, drawing fouls and forcing Virginia Tech's defense to collapse. Brooks went 13-for-14 from the free throw line and consistently was a thorn in Virginia Tech's side on defense, racking up six steals.

"I think I'm best when I'm aggressive and constantly attacking," Brooks said. "I think that it's very hard to stop me from going to the basket, and if you do stop me, I can always find a teammate."

Pierre finished with a double-double, scoring 25 and securing 12 rebounds.

"Khamil is a special talent," said NC State head coach Wes Moore. "There was a couple there that were amazing to me. Freelon was right in her face and she somehow got the shot off and made it."

3. Kilah Freelon was a real bright spot today, especially on the glass.

Despite the lopsided loss, Kilah Freelon delivered one of the best performances of her career. The Texas Tech transfer finished with 14 points and 18 rebounds, matching a collegiate high, with nine coming on the offensive glass and nine on the defensive end. This game marks her fourth double-double of the season.

While Moore was pleased with his team's performance, he said he wished his team did a better job containing Freelon on both ends on the floor.

"She's super athletic, she's long and she's got a motor," Moore said. "She crashes those boards. That's why she's one of the top rebounders in the ACC."

Virginia Tech will look to reset as it begins a West Coast trip with a game at Stanford on Thursday. Tipoff for the game is at 10:00 p.m. ET, and coverage will be on the ACC Network Extra.