Hokies Roll UNC Wilmington To Open Megan Duffy Era

Raza Umerani

Editor-in-Chief

November 4, 2024

BLACKSBURG —The Megan Duffy era at Virginia Tech could not have gotten off to a much better start.

The Hokies (1-0) kicked off the 2024-25 campaign with a 99-57 steamrolling of UNC Wilmington in which their new style of play under their first-year head coach was on full display from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

“I'm just so happy for our players, and I'm happy for their moment today,” Duffy said. “Being able to get off to a good start, just to kind of get this college basketball season rolling.

“It kind of snuck up on us a little bit, too, because we've been so in the grind of building our program and laying the foundation of what we want to do for years to come. So it feels good to get the first one.”

Tech got out to a 34-11 first quarter lead and never looked back, combining a 61.8% shooting night with a balanced scoring effort and solid defense to fuel an easy season-opening win. All 10 Hokies who touched the floor checked into the scoring column — five of whom reached double figures — while the Seahawks (0-1) shot just 21-of-56 from the field with 20 turnovers.

Senior forward Matilda Ekh led the way with a game-high 18 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting while sophomore guards Carys Baker and Carleigh Wenzel each poured in 14 — Wenzel also led the game with five assists and two blocks while grabbing five rebounds. Senior forward Rose Micheaux also had 14 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting clip to go along with five boards. 

“I felt really good about today where we had, at different points, a ton of people stepping up,” Duffy said. “That’s what we're looking for: different rotations, adding different things based on the game. And the more people we can have contribute, the better we'll be.”

Perhaps the brightest spark plug was freshman forward Kayl Petersen, who made an immediate impact off the bench with seven points in her first couple of minutes of action. She finished with 12 on 5-of-7 shooting, two of which being from beyond the arc, to go along with three boards, two assists and a block.

“She's poised, she's skilled,” Duffy said. “As a freshman, you have to understand what's going on on the court, and she does that at a very high level already.”

Another fresh face with a big contribution was redshirt freshman Mackenzie Nelson, who racked up six points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, a game-high four steals and a block in her first collegiate game. 

“Mackie was great, a huge spark for us off the bench,” Duffy said. “She leads our stat board of all the little things, right? The deflections, the steals, getting people shots. She can get downhill, she can shoot the open jumper. What you saw today is what she's been showing us. She’s kind of that little Energizer Bunny.”

68 of Tech’s points came in the paint, accounting for 69% of the scoring output — a figure that contrasts some of its offense under the previous regime. The Hokies only hit eight of the 18 triples they hoisted with Ekh, Baker and Petersen drilling two apiece.

“I feel like in the preseason sometimes we get stuck on shooting threes and not getting to the paint,” Ekh said. “So that was something we talked about before coming into the game, that we have to get paint touches and we have to see Rose more than we have been. So that's a good number.”

Tech also played tight, scrappy defense — another staple under Duffy. It swiped 10 steals and forced 20 total turnovers while allowing the Seahawks to shoot just 21-of-56 from the field and 4-of-18 from beyond the arc. 

It wasn’t the type of night where every question gets answered, but the Hokies displayed their new identity in the first game of a new regime — and that’ll play. 

The quality of opponent ramps up quickly for Tech as it heads to Charlotte, N.C. for the 2024 Ally Tipoff against Iowa — a team with plenty of turnover of its own — on Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Hawkeyes downed the Hokies in a 80-76 thriller when the two met in the Spectrum Center last year, but the picture looks mighty different for both squads now.

“Big stage for women's basketball,” Duffy said. “Iowa’s a really, really good team. … I think people think just because Caitlin Clark has moved on to the league that they'll be down a little bit. But I think they're really good and really talented, and Jan [Jensen] is going to do a tremendous job for them.

“It’ll be a great early non-conference test for us, that's what you want to get your young team battle-tested and get on a neutral floor.”