Virginia Tech Rallies In Second Half For 62-51 Victory Over Georgia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. — It's not often that a team can shoot 28.4% from the field and 22.2% from deep — and win.

Yet, Virginia Tech women's basketball did just that Sunday. Despite languishing through game-wide shooting struggles, the Hokies (21-8, 11-6 ACC) produced enough to outlast Georgia Tech, 62-51, on the team's Senior Day.

CASSELL DEFENDED! 🏰 pic.twitter.com/f8s56prKVU
— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) February 22, 2026

"I'm just incredibly proud of the focus and grit to get better every day," said Virginia Tech head coach Megan Duffy. "Coming off two nice wins in California, you can have a letdown. And even though we didn't end up beating North Carolina the other day, there was still confidence about us that you can see we're getting better defensively. We're moving and sharing the ball."

The Hokies' 28.4% clip from the field was their lowest shooting percentage in a win since a 28.3% clip vs. Iona on Jan. 3, 1997.

It helped that the victory was aided by Georgia Tech (12-16, 7-9 ACC) going 28.8% from the field, and 20% from deep. It helped that Virginia Tech took 67 shots, 15 more than the Yellow Jackets' 52. It helped that the Hokies held the edge in assists (10-8), turnovers (24 GT, 15 VT) and fouls (25 GT, 14 VT).

But above all, Virginia Tech's victory was aided most by its second-half surge. In the opening half, the Hokies had knocked down just 11 of their 36 looks for a 30.6% clip, including just two of 12 (16.7%) from long range. Moreover, they had led for only 28 seconds.

But Virginia Tech was undaunted, and despite toiling through a first-quarter stretch in which it went 2-for-13, it trailed by only one (32-31) entering the second half.

"This team continues to stay motivated to work on small things, and we needed that today." Duffy said. "We were not at our best, and we knew coming in with Georgia Tech, the way they're physical, they got nothing to lose. ... It's like all those little plays add up, and you can pull away. I'm very proud of the grit they showed — this week especially."

In the third quarter, the Hokies erupted. Georgia Tech held a 38-33 lead with just over six minutes to go in the third frame, but by the media timeout (4:36), the deficit was slashed to just one point.

And the Hokies kept rolling. From that 5:52 mark of the third quarter to the 4:59 mark of the fourth, Georgia Tech only notched two points. In the same span, Virginia Tech logged 22. The Yellow Jackets also missed 14 consecutive shots from that point on. Dating back to the second quarter, there was a point in the contest where Georgia Tech went 1-for-23.

"We were finally in the right position," Duffy said. "I don't think at any point in the first quarter, we were ever in the right position. So, we got better as the game went on with that. We tightened things up and forced their kids to take some shots that were a little bit more difficult for them. I thought they got a few easy shots in the first half.

"But anytime you can force 20-some turnovers, it's less opportunities for them to score, and it gives you, obviously, an advantage."

That aforementioned Hokies shooting slump did not correct itself in the third quarter. Still, Virginia Tech thrived because Georgia Tech also couldn't make shots in the third frame. Both teams combined to shoot an anemic 4-for-29 (13.8%) that quarter, with the Hokies pulling away by way of a 6-for-6 clip at the charity stripe. As such, Virginia Tech had built a 43-40 advantage heading into the final frame.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Virginia Tech erupted, going on a 10-0 run to start the frame — and to put the Yellow Jackets' aspirations of victory firmly out of reach. In the final 20 minutes, Georgia Tech only scored 19 points. Virginia Tech? 31.

Virginia Tech saw three double-digit scorers Sunday in a relatively quiet offensive day. Guard Samyha Suffren led the charge with 16 points, five rebounds and two assists on a 4-for-9 line, aiding her charge with a perfect 8-for-8 stretch at the stripe.

Guard Carleigh Wenzel went 4-for-12 for 15 points; though she committed five turnovers, she logged six rebounds and two assists, also passing the career 1,000-point mark. Forward Carys Baker logged 10 points, eight boards and two steals — plus four blocks. Then, there was guard Mackenzie Nelson, who went 2-for-10 for seven points but gobbled up six assists, a block and a turnover.

Trent was a factor, as well. Though she logged two points and three fouls, she also gobbled up eight boards while spelling Freelon, who dealt with foul trouble. Freelon still logged seven rebounds and three blocks, though she was held to four points on 2-of-7 shooting.

The Hokies' victory wasn't fueled by offense; rather, their win was anchored by an increasingly potent defensive effort. It's one that has found a near gear as of late; after yielding 80 poiints in back-to-back losses to Notre Dame and NC State, Virginia Tech has not allowed more than 66 points in each of its last four games. Moreover, the Hokies have kept opponents under the 70-point barrier all but twice (Notre Dame, NC State) in their last 13 games.

Though Virginia Tech remains in seventh place in the ACC standings, it can vault as high as fifth heading into the ACC Tournament. The Hokies hold head-to-head tiebreakers with Virginia, who they play next, plus Syracuse. Virginia Tech has one game to play while the Cavaliers (Nirth Carolina, Virginia) and the Orange (Notre Dame, Boston College) each have two.

"It's driven us all year," Duffy said. "When you're driven on those things, you can control your defense and your rebounding and the way you communicate with each other. It can take such a load off your offense. ... You're going to have a game where it looks really pretty, and then the next day, you can't make a shot. So they've really bought into that, with this group, of staying steady in the fight and then being patient when those shots do come.

"But if we didn't have our defense this year and our mindset, it'd be a whole different ball game for us. ... So, we have different defensive groups we can use to keep that energy up, and it's critical at the end of February and March."

Virginia Tech will round out the regular season against Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. The contest will take place on Sunday, March 1 at 12 p.m. ET, and coverage will be on ACC Network.

Last time out, the Hokies took down the Cavaliers 76-64 in Cassell Coliseum on Feb. 1. Since then, Virginia has won four of its last five games, including a 74-72 stunner over No. 8 Louisville, where Kymora Johnson logged 16 points.

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