Three Takeaways From Virginia Tech Women's Basketball's Dominant Win vs. Niagara

Virginia Tech thrashed the Purple Eagles in a 37-point drubbing.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech women's basketball continued their unbeaten streak with a dominant 83-46 win over Niagara on Thursday night. They moved to 5-0 on the season with a big road test against JMU looming. Here are three takeaways from the Hokies' dominant win.

Make that 🖐️-0 pic.twitter.com/6H4wDqwqAt

— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) November 21, 2025

No. 1: This team is deep.

Virginia Tech had a quintet of double-digit scorers in this game without Carleigh Wenzel reaching that mark.

Guards Samyha Suffren and Mel Daley led the way with 13 points apiece. Forward Kilah Freelon tallied 12, while Mackenzie Nelson and Carys Baker each notched 10. The ability for Virginia Tech to be able to have multiple ways to put the ball in the basket pays dividends when they have to play talented defensive teams able to limit one of Tech's key options.

Ultimately, this kind of balanced scoring output is exactly what Virginia Tech needs as they get deeper into the season. When five players can reliably reach double figures, sans Wenzel, it shows a level of depth and versatility that carries over.

It forces defenses to pick their poison, keeps the offense sustainable on nights when a star might be quiet and also gives the Hokies the confidence that they don’t have to rely on just one or two players to carry the load. If that collective production becomes the norm, Virginia Tech will be a far tougher matchup for the upper-tier defensive teams waiting down the line in conference play.

No. 2: This team is remarkable on the glass.

Virginia Tech outrebounded Niagara, 42-23. The Hokies asserted complete control on the glass from the opening tip, and the numbers back it up. Outrebounding Niagara 42–23 isn’t just a statistical win; it’s a reflection of physicality, effort and discipline on both ends of the floor.

The Hokies limited second-chance opportunities all afternoon, cleaning up defensive rebounds with ease and also generating extra possessions through assertive work on the offensive boards. Whether it was guards crashing down to help or the frontcourt sealing off space, Tech consistently dictated the terms around the rim and never allowed Niagara to build momentum through hustle plays.

This level of rebounding dominance is the type of foundation that can carry Virginia Tech into tougher matchups. Winning the glass by nearly 20 boards is more than a one-game success. When Tech controls the rebounding battle like this, they control tempo, possession count and ultimately, the game's outcome. If they continue to rebound with this kind of purpose, it will significantly raise their ceiling as competition stiffens, though size continues to be an area of concern.

No. 3: This team is struggling to shoot.

Right now, Tech’s biggest offensive red flag is its perimeter shooting. At just 28% from three on the season, the Hokies aren’t stretching defenses as needed. Opponents are starting to sag off, clog driving lanes and make Tech play in tighter windows since the threat from deep hasn’t been consistent enough to punish them. It’s not a roster without capable shooters; however, the rhythm and shot selection haven’t synced up yet to produce reliable perimeter production.

If Tech wishes to elevate its offensive ceiling, the three-point shooting has to tick upward. A team with this much guard talent and ball movement shouldn’t stay at 28% for long, but until the shots fall, everything else becomes harder. Scoring in the paint, attacking in transition and running their half-court sets becomes difficult without a consistent offensive output from deep.

The good news? There’s plenty of time, and plenty of players capable of breaking out. Once the threes start dropping at a more respectable clip, Tech’s offense will open up in a way that completely changes how opponents have to defend them.