Virginia Tech Leans on Suffren’s 19 to Top California, 68-58

The Hokies led by only one entering the final frame.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech women's basketball concluded its two-game stint in the Golden State with a 68-58 victory over California Sunday afternoon, pulling away with a 24-15 fourth quarter to claim victory No. 20 of the 2025-26 season.

Took care of business in the Golden State ✨ pic.twitter.com/E3cXg8TYvk

— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) February 16, 2026

"Absolutely gritty 40 minutes," said Virginia Tech (20-7, 10-5) head coach Megan Duffy post-game to Evan Hughes and Elizabeth Kitley on the Virginia Tech Sports Network. "Not pretty basketball by both teams throughout the game, but on the back end of this West Coast trip, we were just saying, 'Empty the tank, everything we can do.'"

While the Hokies were vacillatory on Sunday, shooting 27.8% and 25.0% in the first and third frames, respectively, their efforts to close out both halves against the Golden Bears (16-11, 7-7 ACC) were tremendous. Virginia Tech made eight of its 13 (61.5%) looks in the second quarter, while going 5-for-9 (55.6%) in the final 10 minutes.

The Hokies' charge was anchored by a career-high 19-point outing from Samyha Suffren. The redshirt sophomore, who played in 10 games last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, contributed seven points in the final frame.

Suffren ended the day having made seven of her 12 looks from the field. In that 8-for-13 second quarter, Suffren was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field for eight points, turning a three-point Cal lead at the 5:44 mark into a seven-point Virginia Tech lead three minutes and 39 seconds of ball later.

Though guard Carleigh Wenzel went just 2-for-10 from the field, completing a difficult California stint where she went a combined 6-for-28 (21.4%) from the field and 2-for-19 (10.5%) inside, she accumulated 15 points. That was by way of a perfect 10-for-10 mark at the charity stripe.

As a team, Virginia Tech was pinpoint from the line, knocking down 25 of its 29 looks to Cal's 19-for-27 clip. Though the Hokies committed 15 turnovers, they were active in forcing miscues, baiting California into 22 turnovers — including six in each of the final three quarters.

Besides Wenzel, three other Hokies scored in double-figures: Suffren (19), forward Kilah Freelon (12) and Carys Baker (10). Freelon grabbed 10 rebounds to secure another double-double, her fifth of the season. She also gobbled up four steals.

"She's a freaking warrior," Duffy said.

Meanwhile, Baker went 4-for-8 from the field and logged five rebounds.

After three quarters, Virginia Tech led by a narrow 44-43 margin, in serious danger of losing. 13 seconds into the final frame, California center Sakima Walker knocked down a lay-in in the paint to grant the Golden Bears a one-point lead. However, Wenzel knocked down a three-pointer with 9:25 to go, giving the Hokies a lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

Along the way in the final frame, Virginia Tech forced Walker and guard Mjarcle Sheppard into five fouls. Sheppard gobbled up seven rebounds and forced two steals, while Walker went 5-for-6 from the field for 11 points.

With the victory, the Hokies have exceeded their win total from the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign, one that ended just shy of an NCAA Tournament bid and resulted in a second-round exit in the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT).

This year appears markedly different; the Hokies have already exceeded that total with four games left to play and sit sixth in the ACC. They hold a head-to-head advantage over Syracuse, should they catch up to the Orange, though NC State holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Hokies.

"We've been talking about [how] we've got to make winning plays," Duffy said. "Anybody off the bench who can get a bucket, set a screen, get a defensive stop. ... They're buying into that. It's not about shooting percentages or stats. It's about, can you get the win? I'm just happy about our growth.

"After the Notre Dame and NC State losses, we reset outrselves. To come on the road on the West Coast, and different time changes... to have two wins is phenomenal."

California entered the contest having won six of its last seven games, including a 64-58 victory over Virginia on Feb. 12. Still, Virginia Tech was undaunted, emerging victorious to claim its ninth win in its last 11 contests. The Hokies entered the outing at No. 42 in the NET, while California sat 11 spots below.

Virginia Tech's victory currently clocks in as a Quadrant 2 win, lifting the Hokies to a 4-2 record in such contests. Moreover, Virginia Tech has now lifted its record against NET top-100 opponents to an even 7-7 at the time of writing.

Most importantly, Virginia Tech is finding its stride at the most ideal time of the season. Though the Hokies lost two straight to NC State and Notre Dame, Virginia Tech has also only suffered two losses in league play to squads ranked lower than it in the ACC standings.

And despite setbacks — Wenzel's shooting struggles, a shoulder injury by Freelon sustained in the fourth quarter (she returned with the shoulder taped up) and their lulls against NC State — the Hokies have stayed disciplined.

Virginia Tech will be back in Cassell Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 19 to play against No. 21 North Carolina at 6 p.m. ET. The Tar Heels rank No. 19 in the NET and represent a Quadrant 1 opportunity for the Hokies, who are 2-4 against such opponents.