Mental Fortitude Carries the Virginia Tech Women Past UVA in 83-82 Thriller - A Deep Dive

Virginia and Virginia came into the game Sunday in a 5-way tie for 5th place with identical 11-6 ACC records.  The winner of the game would be well positioned for post-season seeding. The loser could find themselves as low as the 9th seed, depending on the outcomes of games around the league.

What started out as stunning blitz by Virginia Tech that saw it build a 23-point at one point turned into an intense, thrilling back-and-forth game. Ultimately, the Hokies showed the same grit, poise, and mental toughness that have characterized their season to pull out an 83-32 win to sweep their in-state rivals.

GAME SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER

Virginia’s Parris Clark struck first for the Cavaliers, driving into the lane from the top and hitting a pull-up jumper for a fleeting 2-0. Next came an offensive and defensive avalanche courtesy of the Hokies that buried Virginia.

Tech point guard Mackenzie Nelson used a screen by Carys Baker for a pick and pop three from the left wing. Then Nelson flew in to steal a lob pass intended for Virginia's Tabitha Amanze and raced downcourt before hitting Leila Wells for a transition layup.  Forward Kilah Freelon then took an entry pass and swooped to the basket for a layup. Two possessions later, Baker knocked down another three pointer from the top of the key, and four minutes into the game, the Hokies had a 10-2 lead. Cavalier coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton called a timeout in an attempt to stem the tide.

Meanwhile, the Virginia Tech defense was literally ferocious. Baker blocked UVA’s Kymora Johnson’s shot on UVA’s first possession. Nelson stole that aforementioned lob entry pass. The Hokies then forced a shot clock violation and stole the ball on two straight Cavalier possessions during that stretch where Tech built its initial lead.

That timeout by Virginia had no effect. After several missed shots from both teams, Wells got a quick pass back from Baker and nailed a wide open three point shot to make it 13-2.

Virginia started showing signs of life with two frees and two layups to make it 17-8, but then Nelson hit Baker in transition for her third three pointer of the quarter. Every time Virginia showed a pulse, Tech had an answer.  Carleigh Wenzel hit a three to make it 23-11 and then came back with a driving pull up jumper to beat the first quarter buzzer and stake Tech to a 27-13 lead.

SECOND QUARTER

The second quarter started out as the Mel Daley show. The Tech transfer from Northwestern hit two mid-range jumpshots around a Kilah Freelon layup, and then stole a pass for a layup for six points that made the score 35-16.

Tech’s defense continued to be a relative brick wall for much of the second quarter. For example, there was a nice sequence where Baker blocked a lob into the low post out of bounds off a UVA player. The Hokies would then see a return on their investment on defense with yet another offensive spark: Sufften hit a jumper from the wing and then Wenzel nailed a jump shot from the top of the key and an offensive rebound.  With 4:51 left in the first half, the Hokies had carved out a 39-16 performance, a 23-pt lead built on the back of tenacious defense and dynamic offense.

The Cavaliers then slowly began to cut into the deficit. Sa’Myah Smith made a layup, drew the foul, and completed the three point play. Virginia’s Paris Clark then hit a short floating jump shot, and more Tech fouls helped Virginia tack on a free throw to close the gap to seventeen.

Carleigh Wenzel, as she would do all night, responded, knocking down a three pointer to extend the margin back to twenty. Nevertheless, the Cavaliers had woken up.  They closed out the first half on a 6-1 run that left Virginia Tech with a still-comfortable 43-28 lead; however, Virginia had seized momentum going into the third.

THIRD QUARTER

Indeed, the Cavaliers came out of the half-time locker room with a renewed sense of aggression on offense. Kymora Johnson, who was held to 1 point in the first half, went into attack mode. Eight straight points, six of which came courtesy of Johnson, put Tech back on its heels. The Cavaliers had outscored the Hokies 14-1 across the end of the second and beginning of the third quarters to erase Tech’s double digit lead and make it a 43-36 game.

Mackenzie Nelson responded with a huge three to restore life to a discombobulated offense that had been thrown off by Virginia’s switch to a 1-2-2 zone defense.  Wenzel drew several fouls and then hit her own three pointer to give Tech a ten-point lead. Baker made a layup off an assist from Wenzel to keep Virginia at bay.

Nevertheless, Virginia kept coming. An 11-3 Cavalier run pulled Virginia within five points. Just as it seems Wenzel staved off the pressure with a driving jump shot with 9 seconds remaining in the third, Kymore Johson hit a three as the quarter ended to make the score  61-57. A 23-point lead had shrunk to four; it was now anyone’s game going into the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER

The fourth quarter was a game within a game, a back-and-forth rollercoaster thriller that was going to excite one team and disappoint the other.  Carleigh Wenzel came out and immediately hit a three pointer. Kymora Johnson responded with her own.  Virginia continued to attack, tying the game at 64-64 with two straight driving layups.

After a Virginia Tech timeout, it was forward Kilah Freelon’s turn to respond.  She grabbed two straight offensive rebounds for putbacks in a span of thirty seconds. Mackenzie Nelson added two free throws to restore a 6-pt Tech advantage.

Kymora Johnson and company refused to go away, knocking down free throws to inch closer. Wenzel responded yet again with a pull up jumper to push the lead back to five at 72-67. However, four straight points by Virginia brought the Cavaliers within 1 with 4:47 left in the game.

Mackenzie Nelson became the next Hokie hero to stave off the Cavaliers. Her turnaround jump shot and driving layup pushed the Hokie lead back to five. After Johnson landed a punch with another layup, Carys Baker threw a three point haymaker of her own to restore a 79-73 lead.

Virginia came right back on the strength of its interior size. Sa’Myah Smith grabbed an offensive rebound for a score and the foul. Tabitha Amanze did the same. Her free throw tied the game at 81-81 with 1:08 left and set the stage for the final fireworks.

An ill-fated pass into Baker at the free throw line resulted in a turnover and Tech foul on a driving Paris Clark. She made one of two free throws to put the Cavaliers up one, 82-81, with 24 seconds left for their first lead since the game’s beginning. The Hokies, who once had a 23-point lead, were now facing a loss to their in-state rivals with tournament seeding implications on the line.

The following three key sequences determined the outcome of the game.

• After a Tech timeout, Mackenzie Nelson ended up taking a three point shot with 9 seconds left. Mel Daley came out of nowhere on the weakside to grab the rebound. She tried to tip the ball in, missed, but grabbed her own miss. Coach Duffy called a timeout with 5 seconds left to set up Tech’s final play.

• On the baseline out of bound’s play, Carleigh Wenzel used a screen by Aniya Trent to get the pass in the weakside corner for a potential corner shot. When two defenders closed on her, Wenzel put the ball on the floor and drove into the lane. As she rose up to shoot, Virginia’s Romi Levy fouled Wenzel.  Carleigh calmly poured in both free throws to give Tech the 83-82 lead with 1.7 seconds remaining.

• Virginia called a timeout and advanced the ball to their half-court. Instead of guarding the inbounder, Virginia Tech double-teamed Kymora Johnson and had Carleigh guarding the space Virginia wanted to pass to. The Cavaliers were left with passing into Sa’Myah Smith above the three point line, who seemed surprised to get an unexpected pass. Her late heave was short as the horn sounded to celebrate the Virginia Tech 83-82 win.

SIX THOUGHTS AFTER THE GAME

Virginia Tech Played a Tremendous First Quarter/First Half

Virginia Tech played a tremendous first half. “We came out guns ablazing in that first quarter, Coach Duffy said, "I mean getting downhill, making our threes. Our pace was really good.”

 Indeed, the Hokies came out firing on all cylinders both offensively and defensively. The Hokies shot 40.0% from the field in the first quarter, but 50% from the three point line. They shot an even better 50% in the second quarter. Baker’s three three pointers early in the game were like a personal blitzkrieg that came close to landing a first-round knockout of the Cavaliers.

Defensively, the Hokies were excellent. They held Virginia to 38.5% shooting in the first quarter, including missing both its three point attempts. The Hokies also forced five turnovers in the first frame and scored seven points off those turnovers. The Hokies limited the Cavaliers to two offensive rebounds over the entire first half despite Virginia’s size advantage. 

Virginia Tech’s lead peaked at 23 points; however, the onslaught against Virginia could have actually been worse if not for Tech missing some random transition layups. Virginia’s ability to recover from off the mat late in the first half prevented Tech from truly running away with the game, and, indeed, that 23-point cushion proved vital when the game tightened in the second half.

Second Half - UVA Turns the Tables

In some of Tech’s earlier losses during the season, a single quarter was often the difference. Virginia attempted to make that happen in the third quarter in Charlottesville and, indeed, outscored the Hokies 29-18. Virginia came out at half-time and attacked downhill, consistently driving into the lane or fighting for offensive rebounds.  Virginia shot a blistering 59.1% and scored 20 points in the paint in the third.

The Cavaliers carried that momentum into the fourth, where they shot 53.8% from the field and got to the line to make 10-of-12 free throws. They had Virginia Tech on the ropes. The crowd smelled blood, roaring to life with each step that their Cavaliers inched closer and finally claimed  their lead with 5 seconds remaining in the game. 

Carleigh Wenzel Responded Time and Time Again

Carleigh Wenzel scored a career high 29 points on 8-for-19 shooting, including 4-for-13 from beyond the arc and 9-for-10 from the free throw line. She also added four assists, three steals, and four rebounds.  She had the added responsibility of guarding Virginia’s Kymora Johnson at times. 

What made Wenzel the hero of the night is that every time the Cavaliers pulled closer, Wenzel responded. In the third quarter, after Virginia went on its 10-3 run to start the third quarter, she drew a foul for two free throws. Less than a minute later, her step back three pointer countered a three point play by Virginia. Wenzel then drew yet another foul on Kymora Johnson for two more free throws. Finally, to end the third, she drove into the lane and nailed yet another jumper under duress. Wenzel continued to make plays in the fourth quarter, including her three pointer to open the frame and then, ultimately, her final two free throws that won the game.

Duffy praised her shooting guard, “I told her seven times. I am very proud of her.  I am very proud of the way Carleigh made big shots for us, made her free throws, but her poise was the best part about her day today. She went and switched off on Mo to just give her a little more resistance. It was challenging but I thought her mindset was contagious to everyone else. I am proud of the way she gutted it out for us, along with many others.”

Team Balance and Unselfish Resilience

While Carleigh Wenzel deserves the spotlight for the willpower she showed throughout the game, she was not alone. Team members up and down the roster rose up in various situations to respond to Virginia runs.

Five players finished the game scoring in double-digits, and others made key contributions to the win:

Carys Baker was second on the team with 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. Her three early makes from beyond the arc were like lightning from the skies that shellshocked the Cavaliers. Just as importantly, she knocked down her fourth three pointer in the fourth quarter in an effort to quell the Cavalier comeback. Baker also held her own against Virginia’s size advantage, grabbing seven total rebounds, two of which came on the offensive end.  She also had one assist and three blocks, including on Kymora Johnson’s first attempt of the game that established the tone for the Hokies.

Mel Daley has been coming on late in the season, and her experience was vital to helping secure Tech’s victory Sunday. She scored 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting to go along with three free throws. She put on a show in the second quarter when she had her own six point stretch. However, her most important contribution was the offensive rebound on Nelson’s missed three pointer with essentially five seconds left in the game. Her rebound allowed Coach Duffy to call the timeout that set up Carleigh Wenzel’s play that led to the final free throws that gave the Hokies the win.

Coach Duffy said, “I felt Mel Daley made some huge plays offensively and some scrappy boards she got. Made a couple of really good decisions late.” 

Carleigh Wenzel also highlighted Daley when she said, “I know Mel has stepped up tremendously in these last couple of games, like at the end of the game grabbing the rebounds.”

Mackenzie Nelson came through with her second double-double of the season. She scored 10 points and dropped 11 assists to only 1 turnover. She knocked down a three, grabbed six rebounds, and added a steal.  She finished the regular season second to Virginia’s Kymore Johnson in total assists but first in the ACC with a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Coach Duffy commented how Nelson “Was not feeling good all week with a cold. Her mental toughness today with staying poised… she made big plays for us, whether it was that three. She got downhill once. Kept her composure in the huddles along with Carleigh. She found people and all different people. She did her job really well. I am proud of her too because it was not an easy week for her with how she felt.”

Kilah Freelon was “gritty when things get ugly,” according to Wenzel. She scored 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds before fouling out late in the game. Her fourth quarter performance was key to the game. In looking at the fourth quarter statistics, Virginia appeared to have had the advantage with a better shooting percentage and those two offensive rebounds that led to Cavalier scores. Yes, Virginia had 12 points in the pain, but Virginia Tech had 10. Virginia Tech had 6 offensive rebounds, and three of those came from Freelon, with all three leading to second chance points.  . 

Aniya Trent played thirteen vital minutes in relief of Freelon and, once again, held her own against Virginia’s forwards. She finished with three rebounds and assisted on one of Wenzel’s three pointers.

Leila Wells started the game and scored 5 quick points in the first quarter with a layup and three pointer. She drew the assignment of guarding Kymora Johnson to start the game, helping hold her to one point in the first half.

Samyha Suffren played12 minutes, scored two points, and dished out one assist. She got saddled with foul trouble and likely gave way to Daley’s experience in the tight second half.

Kayl Petersen, like Trent, provided depth in the interior. She only played a bit over 6 minutes but grabbed three rebounds in that period of time.

When asked about having five players in double figures and the balance required to win the game and going forward, Coach Duffy said, “I think it is huge. Every coach in America talks about it. You have your go to players for sure. We have been led by Carys and Carleigh maybe from the scoring size of things. But really it has been the group around them that continues to get better and build their confidence. We talked a lot throughout the game when it was getting ugly at times, everybody had the chance to make a positive play. That could be a rebound. That could be a loose ball. That could be communicating on defense, so instead of getting frustrated, it was like stay the course. With the physicality, we talked all week about how to handle our composure.”

Just as importantly, this team has shown an unselfish resilience with different players contributing in various ways across the season. As Wenzel said, the mentality of the team has been “staying together. Everyone being able to do a we over me mentality. Nobody was in there worried about getting their own. Nobody was worried about how games affected themselves. It was about how can we get a team win. What can I do to make the team better? They have done a tremendous job and just everyone being able to pour into each other, not being worried about ourselves.”

The Hokies Win the Fourth Quarter Again With Resilience

Ever since the fourth quarter breakdowns that led to the Miami loss to start 2026, the Hokies have largely owned the fourth quarter of games. There was the hiccup against Notre Dame, and they could not get over the hump in the overtime loss to UNC; however, a vital key to finishing 12-6 in the ACC and 22 wins overall was the grit, poise, and execution players showed in closing out games. 

Virginia Tech needed every bit of that mental fortitude to withstand UVA’s comeback, especially when the Cavaliers took the lead late in the game.

Tech had its defensive issues in the second half when Johnson and Virginia got going on offense and switched to its 1-2-2 zone on defense.  Coach Duffy talked about those defensive issues, “Our second half, our defense had some breakdowns. Whether it was Mo or Parris got hot going downhill and Mo is Mo at times. As soon as you made a mistake, she made a huge play. That is why I feel like UVA is just such a talented team: they can hurt you inside and they go to the outside.”

Duffy also commented on dealing with UVA’s zone, “We have watched them since we last played them last. They have done a little bit more of their 1-2-2 zone, which we worked all week on. I am not sure we executed the way exactly the way we wanted to.”

However, the Hokies stayed poised and positive, and played through their mistakes. Carleigh Wenzel pointed to “Just being able to play through mistakes, adversity, physicality, things like that. I think they got hot in the second half. They went zone, so just trying to figure that out…. Just trying to play through things, play through mistakes, play through their physicality, understand to adjust and stay disciplined.”

Coach Duffy also praised that the Hokies kept their poise and stayed positive: “I think we stayed poised, even when we lost the lead or they made their comeback. I just think the demeanor of just some of those shots are going to fall. I think the whole game whether it was them talking in their huddle or me coming in, they were very positive of hey like we have e a corner, we have 1-on1- on the block, we have our shooters open.  It was a sticky little zone.”

Despite mistakes and despite the mounting pressure that Virginia was exerting in seemingly taking over the game, the Hokies “sustained just enough” as both Duffy and Wenzel extolled and got tougher in the final minutes of the game. “I think that was the biggest thing. When they took the lead, it could have gone the other direction, Duffy said, “We hung tight. Got a couple of defensive stops, a couple of hustle plays.”

The Hokies would not have won the game without the three most important plays mentioned in the above game summary starting with Mel Daley’s offensive rebounds with five seconds left. It was her hustle that set up Carleigh Wenzel’s final play. 

The Final Play:  Wenzel described how, “If I had the look, take it. But obviously I just saw two defenders flying out. So, I am going to be a playmaker, whether that is take the shot or see Carys on the other side of the floor. Luckily,I got to the free throw line and I have been working with Coach Nee a bunch on my routine, what I am saying to myself at the line…. It just came into play today.”

Duffy echoed Wenzel’s thoughts in the larger context of her team’s end of game performance, “I thought we executed really well down the stretch, at least getting a good shot off. Carleigh had the opportunity to take the three or get downhill. She had great clock awareness and I had no doubt she was going to make the free throws.

“it was not pretty,” Coach Duffy said, “But we sustained it enough to come out with the W.”

Final ACC Standings and the ACC Tournament

With Virginia Tech’s win over Virginia, the Hokies finished on a high note. The team’s 12-6 ACC and 22-8 overall records are a testament to its hard work. As Wenzel notes, “We have been working all year on that, understanding that obviously we were not ranked that high coming in, but not letting that affect us. Just coming in working our butts off every day. On bye weeks, just not taking the week off but understanding that it is a reset to prepare. I think that is what we did this week. Just going in on a high note. We wanted to end the season off and we know that is a tough team to end off, especially a rivalry game. But going into the tournament with momentum is what we wanted.”

The Virginia Tech-Vriginia game occurred within the context of March 1 matchups around the ACC that would determine the final standings and ACC tournament seedings. In the games that mattered to Tech:

• Syracuse took down BC, 90-65
• Stanford upset Clemson, 85-50
• NC State trounced Pitt, 93-43
• Notre Dame took down Louisville, 65-62

The win against UVA would have put Virginia Tech in near sole possession of 5th place going into the ACC tournament. The wild card was going to be which Notre Dame team showed up against which Louisville team! 

With Notre Dame’s defeat of Louisville this past Sunday, the Hokies earned the No. 6th seed, significantly better than the pre-season predictions of 10th place! 

WHAT'S NEXT

As the no. 6th seed, Virginia Tech earned a single bye in the 2026 ACC Tournament for the second year in a row under Coach Duffy. While the first round of the tournament begins Wednesday in Duluth, Georgia, Virginia Tech starts its post-season march on Thursday at 7:30 ET. 

The Hokies will play the winner of the first round game between the no 11 seed Georgia Tech and no. 14 seed Florida State. Georgia Tech defeated the Seminoles 80-69 in late January. The Hokies hammered Florida State 79-54 and overcame a tough Georgia Tech, 62-51, as the season closed.

Ahead for the Hokies could be a quarterfinal matchup against the no. 3 seed North Carolina on Friday. Virginia Tech lost a close 66-63 game in overtime, a game in which Tech led for much of the game. Should Tech break through against UNC, Louisville possibly looms should it advance. 

Youtube Video of Condensed Game