BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech fell 70-54 to Duke in its ACC opener Sunday afternoon at Cassell Coliseum.
The Hokies dropped to 7-3 overall but remained strong at home, moving to 6-1 in games played in Blacksburg.
Recommended Videos
Virginia Tech opened with a strong defensive effort, holding Duke to 30% shooting in the first quarter. Carleigh Wenzel and Samyha Suffren supplied early offense, scoring eight of the Hokies’ 12 points. Suffren’s fast-break layup briefly put Tech ahead 12-11 with 2:24 left, but the Blue Devils closed the quarter on a 5-2 run to take a 14-12 lead.
Turnovers plagued both teams throughout the first half, with 23 combined giveaways in the opening 20 minutes. A Hokies miscue helped Duke build a 25-18 advantage with 5:03 remaining in the second quarter. Tech responded with back-to-back 3-pointers from Carys Baker and Wenzel to cut the deficit to 27-24. Suffren added two baskets, and Kayl Petersen contributed a putback with 1:13 left, but Duke closed strong to take a 34-26 halftime lead.
Wenzel and Baker opened the second half with consecutive 3-pointers to keep the Hokies within reach. Leila Wells added four points in the period, but Duke’s 22-point third quarter stretched the margin to 56-41 entering the final frame. The Blue Devils dominated the glass 13-3 in the period and shot 58.3% to pull away for the win.
VIRGINIA DOMINATES
Six players scored in double figures as Virginia cruised past Boston College 81-55 in its ACC opener Sunday, earning the program’s 1,000th victory.
The Cavaliers (7-3, 1-0 ACC) were led by Kymora Johnson and Paris Clark, who each scored 13 points. Johnson added nine assists and four rebounds, while Clark posted six rebounds and five assists. Sa’Myah Smith and Gabby White scored 12 apiece, and Tabitha Amanze and Romi Levy each finished with 11.
Amanze added 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Virginia shot 54% from the field (33 of 61) while holding the Eagles (4-8, 0-1) to 30% shooting. The Cavaliers also won the rebounding battle 43-30 and recorded eight steals and nine blocks.
Smith made her Virginia debut three minutes into the game and immediately sparked a 10-0 run, scoring eight points in the first quarter, including two 3-pointers. The Cavaliers shot 68% in the opening period to build a 26-13 lead.
Adeang Ring fueled an 8-0 run early in the second quarter, scoring seven points in the period as Virginia extended its advantage to 34-15. The Cavaliers shot 61% in the first half and limited Boston College to just five field goals to take a 40-21 lead into halftime.
White scored eight points in the third quarter, including back-to-back three-point plays, to help stretch the margin to 57-27 — Virginia’s largest lead of the game. Johnson added nine second-half points, hitting three 3-pointers as the Cavaliers closed out the dominant win.