Virginia Tech controlled much of Friday's game vs. BYU in the U.S. Virgin Islands but couldn't hang on in its 64-60 loss at Paradise Jam.
It's the second straight setback for the Hokies (5-2), who lost Sunday at James Madison. They'll have an opportunity to right the ship on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. ET vs. Oregon State (ESPN+), who lost to No. 17 Vanderbilt 88-66.
As has been a theme this season, Tech struggled shooting the ball. It made a 34.8 percent clip (23-for-66) and only had two double-figure scorers in Carleigh Wenzel (18 points) and Mel Daley (16). It marked the fifth time in seven games it shot under 41 percent from the field.
Daley carried the Hokies early, scoring 10 before intermission, and eclipsed 1,000 career points in the process. The fifth-year senior from Hastings, N.Y., transferred to Tech in the offseason after spending four years at Northwestern. She also racked up four steals against the Cougars (7-0).
"Mel had to be a spark for us, had to help Carleigh," Tech head coach Megan Duffy told Evan Hughes on the Virginia Tech Sports Network after the game. "I thought she hit some nice stuff in the first half. Took some really good shots. Unfortunately, a couple of them in that fourth quarter didn't fall."
Meanwhile, Wenzel tried to keep Tech in the game in the second half by knocking down four 3-pointers. She's reached double digits in six of her seven outings this season.
That duo combined to shoot 14-for-34 (41.2%) from the field. The rest of the team was just 9-for-32 (28.1%), including a 1-for-8 mark (12.5%) from long range.
Still, the Hokies had a 27-23 lead at the break and were playing stingy defense against a BYU squad missing its best player in Delaney Gibb, last season's Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Moreover, they spent a large chunk of the first half without their two leading scorers in Wenzel and Carys Baker, who both picked up two fouls.
The Cougars rallied in the second half, though, behind a balanced attack led by Sydney Benally. The freshman point guard was averaging just 6.8 points per game and had struggled shooting the ball, yet she dropped 18 points and seven assists, which included two crucial treys.
Lara Rohkohl (12 points) and Olivia Hamlin (11) joined her in double figures while Brinley Cannon and Bolane Yussuf each chipped in seven points.
As a team, BYU shot 40 percent from the field (22-for-55). It also entered the game averaging 31 3-point attempts per game, and though Tech limited the Cougars to just 12, they were 5-for-9 in the second half and nailed some crucial ones that turned the tide. That offset their 20 turnovers.
"First half, it was awesome," Duffy said of her defense. "I thought we were really good, in the right spots and they only got three [3-pointers] off, and then hit five big ones in the second half. Two or three of them were just us having a few miscues and they got a couple of easy shots. We fell down once, offensive rebound and they kicked it out, so those are the ones that are killers."
With the Hokies up 33-27 at the 6:01 mark of the third quarter, Benally and Hamlin hit back-to-back triples — BYU's first two of the game — to knot things up. Then, with two seconds remaining in the period, Cannon knocked down a three from the top of the key to send the Cougars into the fourth quarter up 43-38.
Tech had an uphill battle the rest of the way, but BYU pushed back when it drew close. Daley's jumper with 3:05 left made it a 54-52 game, but Benally buried another three, which provided enough breathing room. The Hokies couldn't get over the hump from that point on.
Mackenzie Nelson chipped in nine points, six rebounds and five assists for Tech while Kilah Freelon hauled in 14 boards to go with five points and five blocks.
The Hokies have a day to turn the page and prepare for Oregon State, their next opponent in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Beavers had two 15-point scorers — Jenna Villa and Ally Schimel — in their loss to the Commodores. It'll be a 2:30 p.m. ET tip on Saturday (ESPN+).
Box Score: BYU 64, Virginia Tech 60