HOKIES BREEZE PAST AGGIES IN FIRST ROUND OF WBIT

BLACKSBURG – After a sluggish start, Virginia Tech blew past North Carolina A&T in Cassel Colesseum, winning 61-45 and advancing to the second round of the WBIT. 

The Aggies (19-12, 15-3 CAA) came out of the gates attacking the paint, while Tech (19-12, 9-9 ACC) could not get a bucket to go until halfway through the first quarter.

A&T star guard Jordyn Dorsey knifed inside continuously, converting tough layups and fueling a 9-0 run.

Tech called a timeout with 5:38 to go. Head coach Megan Duffy wanted to calm her squad down and assure them they would start hitting shots. 

“I didn’t necessarily think it was because we were flat or not doing the right thing,” Duffy said. “I just thought [the shots] didn’t fall yet.”

After the Hokies broke the huddle, Carliegh Wenzel answered the call, hitting a three from the wing—then shook her defender for an easy layup on the next possession.

Spurred on by the sudden momentum, Tech guard Lani White got a triple of her own to go, cutting the Aggie lead to just three. 

Despite Tech’s newfound momentum, A&T created problems inside with 6’ 4” center Chaniya Clark—dubbed “Baby Shaq”. 

Clark had a constant mismatch inside, no matter which Hokie defender was on her. She ended the game with 19 points—going 9-of-11 from the field. 

The only reason Clark did not hit 30 points was the four fouls she picked up early. Forcing her to leave the contest after playing just 25 minutes.

Tech’s emerging freshmen Mackie Nelson and Kayl Petersen shined once again. 

Even though Petersen only finished with two points, she more than made up for it defensively, rejecting five shots, hauling in eight boards, and having active hands to collect two steals. 

Nelson has solidified herself as the go-to sixth man and filled that role perfectly again. After the team’s leading scorer Wenzel subbed out, she immediately picked up where Wenzel left off. 

The Hokies’ next three buckets were either scored or assisted by Nelson, including a rare three-pointer from the freshman, as Tech found themselves in the lead going into the second quarter. 

In the second quarter, Tech continued raining down threes as Lani White and Matilda Ekh each hit one while Carys Baker hit two. 

“Moving the ball, shooting the ball…making the extra pass. You see me all the time make the extra pass and I run down [the court], putting my hand up like [the shot is good],” Nelson said. 

“It’s contagious, it’s fun, and it leads to better defense and carries over to the next offensive possession.” 

The Hokies were able to contain Dorsey’s slashing attack, and exploited A&T’s inability to shoot threes with a zone defense, hurrying up the Aggie’s pace. 

White took over the scoring load and played with her usual passion that gave her the nickname, “Energizer Bunny.” She totalled 18 points from all three levels anf set the tone with a couple of booming blocks—she also grabbed seven rebounds.

Another Hokie freshman, Leila Wells, played a significant role. She knocked down a couple shots, and showed the level of trust Coach Duffy has in her young guns. Wells played 20 minutes and harrassed her defensive assignment all game.

Both teams locked down defensively in the second half, with each squad only hitting one three each—but the Hokies' comfortable 20-point lead let them coast to a win. 

Considering Tech’s recent tough string of games, the pace and energy it played with looked like its first game against UNC Wilmington. 

“That’s what it’s all about in March,” Duffy said. “They get to make the choice of how hard they come out and how much they want to keep improving, adjusting, and finding that deeper passion. 

“It’s been a lot of months of basketball and just really looking forward to have the opportunity to come back to practice tomorrow, and then obviously play Sunday.”

The WBIT continues on March 23, with the Hokies will playing No. 4 seed Texas Tech in Cassell Coliseum at 4 p.m. ET, who are coming off a 65-48 win against Wyoming.