Virginia Tech overwhelmed Gardner-Webb in Thursday’s 87-51 victory in Cassell Coliseum.
“I was happy with our performance this evening,” Hokies head coach Megan Duffy said. “I thought our energy was good. It was awesome to see five people in double figures. Some interesting stats in this game, looking at the box score, but I thought we improved from a couple days ago against Loyola.”
The Hokies (3-0) distanced themselves with a 13-0 run late in the first quarter as they held the Runnin’ Bulldogs (0-4) scoreless for eight minutes, which provided a comfortable cushion for the next three periods.
Tech shot 37.2 percent (29-for-78) against a squad that frequented a 2-3 zone and threw in some press looks with 1-2-2 and 1-3-1 zones. It moved the ball well, though, racking up 18 assists to just eight turnovers — four of which came after Duffy cleared the bench in the fourth quarter.
“A lot of that comes with just knowing where each person is and the communication,” Hokies forward Kilah Freelon said, “because if we’re just throwing them any kind of way, that makes it really hard to get through a press, but being decisive in our decisions and decisive on where we’re going to pass and where we’re going to move makes it a lot easier.”
“I think that might’ve been my favorite stat of the game, to only have eight turnovers,” Duffy said. “I thought they took the press off because we were able to handle it. And I think the good thing about this team this year is that we just have multiple ball handlers, and we really emphasize the two days of prep of just being fundamentally sound, the way we share it and move the ball and understanding when they were going to be scrappy at certain times, when they were going to be longer.”
Tech had some ups, like its 9-for-17 third quarter (52.9%), and some downs, like its 6-for-21 second quarter (28.6%). The majority of those misses came off open looks, though, especially from behind the arc, where it was 8-for-34 (23.5%).
“I feel like it was just an off night,” Freelon said. “The girls that were shooting are very great shooters, they’re knockdown shooters, and typically that’s a layup for them.”
After missing Sunday’s game with a concussion, Freelon returned and paced Tech with her sixth career double-double and her second of the season with 12 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive glass. She had 11 boards at the half and was a big reason why the Hokies led 40-23.
It was the first 18-rebound game by a Tech player since Olivia Summiel hit that mark in the 2024 ACC Tournament vs. Notre Dame. The previous five instances were by Elizabeth Kitley, who called Thursday’s contest on the Virginia Tech Sports Network with Evan Hughes.
“She had a great motor,” Duffy said of Freelon. “I think she was pretty excited to be back on the floor. She reminded me at one point like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh of just bouncing around and trying to make plays for teammates.”
Samyha Suffren was the Hokies’ leading scorer with career-highs in points (17) and steals (four). She also hit two 3-pointers after entering the game with just two career makes on seven attempts. Freelon called her Tech’s “spark.”
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It was the second double-figure outing in three games for the redshirt sophomore after her 12 points in the opener vs. Towson. It’s an impressive return to form after she suffered a shoulder injury last December that sidelined her for the remainder of the season.
“People always assume right when you come back, you’re going to be this perfect player, and there’s such a journey with it,” Duffy said of Suffren. “She’s been champing at the bit I think to have a breakout game, and she’s been doing the right thing. She’s been really invested in the process of getting my extra shots, getting the film, taking care of my body and making sure her mental side is strong. …
“I thought this was the first evening where she just looked like herself and she played a little more free. And I thought even some of the things we talked about from our film session, from Loyola to this game, man, I could see it carry over, and that’s great IQ for her, her still being a young player.”
Three other Tech players finished in double figures: Mel Daley (14 points on 6-for-7 shooting), Carleigh Wenzel (12 points) and Carys Baker (10 points). Mackenzie Nelson also controlled the flow of the game with seven assists and is averaging 8.3 per game this year.
The Hokies were dominant on the glass and outrebounded the Runnin’ Bulldogs 54-27. That included 30 offensive boards, the second-most in program history behind 43 vs. Liberty in 1990.
They exploited the weaknesses in Gardner-Webb’s zone and took full advantage, racking up 35 second-chance points.
“As a team, we were really locked into our rebounding,” Duffy said. “Gardner-Webb plays a zone for near 40 minutes so it’s hard sometimes to have those perfect block outs, so we really just emphasized not only Kilah, but the whole team, trying to find those pockets to rebound and get extra possessions.”
On the other side, Tech held the visitors to 38 percent shooting (19-for-50) from the floor and just a 35 percent clip (7-for-20) from long range. Five of Gardner-Webb’s triples came in the first half.
It was the third different style of play the Hokies have faced in two weeks after an up-tempo Towson team and a Loyola (Md.) bunch that was slow and steady. Their next foe, Coastal Carolina, will provide another unique look with a constant full-court press. Duffy intentionally scheduled a quick turnaround, too, with it being a Saturday afternoon game (2 p.m. ET).
“Coastal Carolina is a very, very good team,” Duffy said, “and you look at having a game, one day of prep and then another game, it really prepares you for like our MTE tournament down in the [U.S.] Virgin Islands. We’ll have that similar thing here in a couple weeks, NCAA Tournament’s like that too. … It’ll be a good challenge for us.”
Signing Day Notes
Duffy also touched on the two high school recruits who signed with Virginia Tech on Wednesday’s national signing day.Kaleo Anderson, a 5-foot-11 guard from Mill Creek, Wash., is a top-100 prospect in ESPN’s recruiting rankings at No. 70. A three-time MaxPreps All-American, she averaged 23.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game as a junior. She committed to the Hokies on June 26 after a cross-country visit to Blacksburg.
“Jack-of-all-trades guard,” Duffy said of Anderson. “I mean, she can play pretty much every position, and just fell in love with Virginia Tech when she came on a visit.”
Arianna Harris-Mott, a 6-foot-4 post player from Columbia, Md., stars for Boo Williams on the AAU circuit. A two-time first-team all-conference performer in the IAAM at St. Vincent Pallotti, she picked Tech on June 29.
“We call her Ari,” Duffy said of Harris-Mott. “She’s from the DMV area, a big presence inside, 6-4, long, athletic, shot-blocker, defensive presence. I was teasing with her, I was like we could have used her the other night at Loyola a little bit, but really thrilled to have her.”
Their additions give the Hokies 13 scholarship players for the 2026-27 season. Daley and Freelon are the lone players who exhaust their eligibility after this year.
Box Score: Virginia Tech 87, Gardner-Webb 51
Thoughts from the #Hokies’ 87-51 win over Gardner-Webb: pic.twitter.com/U0OaDBG4k6
— David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) November 14, 2025
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