ROANOKE, Va. – Virginia Tech dominated from start to finish Tuesday night at Cassell Coliseum, rolling past Presbyterian 92-36 behind several career performances.
Freshman guard Leila Wells made the most of her first career start, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, five assists, five steals, one block and no turnovers.
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The Hokies opened the game on an 8-0 run, sparked by a 3-pointer from Carleigh Wenzel. Kilah Freelon and Mel Daley added early interior touches before Tech extended the lead with a 10-point burst capped by a Wenzel transition layup off a forced turnover. Virginia Tech led 22-8 after the first quarter.
The defensive pressure grew in the second period as the Hokies held Presbyterian to two field goals. Freelon scored six of her points in the quarter, helping Tech push the advantage to 37-14 with 5:31 left. Samyha Suffren added six more, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities as the Hokies carried a 46-14 lead into halftime. Virginia Tech shot 52.4% in the quarter.
Tech delivered its most efficient frame in the third, shooting 80% from the field. Wells hit back-to-back 3-pointers to ignite a 16-5 run to start the half, while Suffren added another six points as the Hokies surged ahead 75-22 entering the fourth.
Sophie Swanson scored the first five points of the final quarter, including a layup off a Wells steal. Amani Jenkins added six of her eight points down the stretch as the Hokies closed out the 56-point win with a balanced effort.
Junior forward Sa’Myah Smith powered Virginia to a fast start Wednesday night, and the Cavaliers never let up in a 76-50 win over Howard at John Paul Jones Arena.
Smith shined in her home debut, leading Virginia (8-3) with 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and adding seven rebounds. Tabitha Amanze added 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks, while Adeang Ring finished with eight points, five rebounds and two blocks as the Cavaliers dominated the paint, outscoring the Bison 54-20.
Romi Levy contributed across the board with nine points, seven assists, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Kymora Johnson added eight points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Paris Clark chipped in nine points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Smith set the tone from the opening tip, scoring just three seconds into the game. She finished the first quarter with 12 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting, including a 3-pointer, as Virginia built a 31-13 lead.
Ring provided a spark in the second quarter, scoring six points in three minutes on 3-for-3 shooting. The Cavaliers used a 14-0 run to push ahead 40-13 and led by as many as 29 before Howard closed the half with an 11-4 stretch to trim the margin to 22 at intermission.
Howard opened the third quarter with two quick baskets to cut the deficit to 18, but Virginia never allowed the lead to dip further. Nine Cavaliers scored in the second half as Virginia maintained control and secured the 26-point victory.
Also from Wednesday night, Virginia guard Olivia McGhee announced she will miss the remainder of the season after having ankle surgery Monday.