BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Cavaliers secured a crucial 73-65 victory over their in-state rivals, the Virginia Tech Hokies, on Thursday night at Cassell Coliseum. This marks Virginia’s first road win against the Hokies since 2020, giving them momentum in the ACC standings.
“We just came out with urgency, honestly,” said Virginia head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. “We picked up the pace defensively, pressured the ball more. We were able to create turnovers and get some offense from our defense. But then offensively, we just executed focus and finished. I thought we missed a lot of layups in the first half and we were able to correct that and finish at the rim, get to the free throw line a little bit and just played together.”
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Senior forward Latasha Lattimore was instrumental, tallying a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Sophomore guard Kymora Johnson added 16 points, and freshman Breona Hurd chipped in 11, as the Cavaliers used a dominant third-quarter performance to pull ahead.
The Cavaliers and Hokies entered halftime tied at 35 after both teams struggled with shooting consistency. Virginia made only 35.3% of its field goals in the first half and went scoreless from beyond the arc in the second quarter. Similarly, Virginia Tech faltered from deep, shooting 30% overall on three-pointers.
The game shifted dramatically in the third quarter, with Virginia outscoring the Hokies 27-12. Lattimore led the charge with 10 points during this stretch, supported by a defensive shift to man coverage that stymied Virginia Tech. Despite a sluggish fourth quarter offensively, Virginia held off the Hokies, relying on their third-quarter surge.
“I think their success was a little bit more off our turnovers,” said Virginia Tech head coach Megan Duffy. “I thought that we handled their 1-2-2 [defense] pretty well, and they switched off to the man. And I thought that was the most pressure I think we had seen out of them and their man [defense]. And I thought they made some great plays, getting a few steals, to just get that momentum going and that confidence going. We couldn’t really stop the bleeding on that.”
With this victory, the Cavaliers (11-7, 3-3 ACC) look to build on their success as they prepare for a match-up against No. 21 North Carolina State on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Hokies (12-5, 3-3 ACC) will regroup ahead of their upcoming games.