Virginia Tech Women Race to Dominating Win Over Towson - A Deeper Dive

The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team took care of business with an opening night 100-56 victory over Towson University paced by double-doubles by Kayl Peterson and Kilah Freelon. 

Virginia Tech head coach Megan Duffy led off her post-game press conference by saying, “Just proud of our team. You never know in the first game as a coach how we’re all going to come out, but I thought we made some improvements as the game went on. It was great to have everybody get in the game. Overall, just super excited about the first win.”

Game Summary

The Hokies opened the game with a starting lineup of Mackenzie Nelson, Carleigh Wenzel, Mel Daly, Carys Baker, and Kilah Freelon and excited the crowd from the start with a layup in transition off the jump ball. A frenetic first eight minutes of the 1st quarter found the Hokies only up 16-13. Virginia Tech was not playing poorly; however, the up and down pace felt hectic, characterized by random missed shots and turnovers that prevented the Hokies from taking charge of the game early. Towson scored the occasional tough bucket to keep it close. Over the last two minutes of the quarter, Tech settled down and went on a 6-0 run courtesy of a nice baseline out of bounds backscreen to Freelon, a give and go from the top of the key to a cutting Nelson, and a score in transition to Freelon that extended the lead to 22-13.

Virginia Tech stretched the lead to 30-17 to open the second quarter with a turnaround jumpshot and three pointer by Sophie Swanson, mixed with free throws by Kayl Peterson and Mackenzie Nelson. Stingy defense and nice teamwork pushed the lead to 38-19 with 5:30 left in the half. However, Towson continued to hang tough. Virginia Tech did not help its own cause with a return to the hectic pace leading to missed shots and turnovers in traffic, as well as fouls on defense. The Hokies only scored three points off free throws over the last five minutes of the half to go into the locker room up 41-30. 

It is hard to complain about an 80-point pace. The Virginia Tech women were controlling the game, but Towson did not appear to be going away.  In addition, Baker and Wenzel were quiet in the first half from a points standpoint, with 0 and 4 points respectively.

Virginia Tech came out of the locker room to start the third quarter with greater defensive intensity and execution on offense, and proceeded to blow the game open. Tech continually looked inside to Freelon posting up in transition, frequently drawing fouls on Towson. She and Carys Baker locked down several offensive rebounds giving the Hokies numerous second half chances. After going scoreless in the first half, Baker started to come alive in the third quarter. With the first three minutes of the third, Virginia Tech had stretched the lead to 20 points (50-30). 

Then came the electricity that lit up Cassell! Carleigh Wenzel and Kayl Peterson put on a two-person show on offense. Wenzel scored on two straight drives resulting in layups and fouls. She started the second sequence with a block on the defensive end. She finished both three point plays to put Virginia Tech up by twenty three points. Kayl Peterson decided to join the party with two straight threes from distance! Wenzel hit another layup and then Peterson scored three the old-fashioned way off an offensive rebound and putback. The score was 66-37, and it was just a matter of how big the final margin was going to be.  The outscored Towson 34-12 overall in the third to take a 73-42 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Hokies cruised through the fourth, emptying the bench to close out the 100-56 win that gave the crowd free biscuits!

Six Thoughts After The Game

Double-Double / Rebounding: 

If anyone had any concerns about replacing Rose Micheaux, the main theme of the night can best be captured by the word “double-double.”  Both Kilah Freelon and Kayl Peterson paced the Hokies with double figures in rebounds and points. In fact, Peterson scored a career high 17 points to go along with her 12 boards. Freelon was second on the team with 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

In fact, rebounding was contagious. Carys Baker (7), Aniya Trent (5), and Amani Jenkins (2) added to the strong inside effort. Even the guards got in on the act: Carleigh Wenzel (7), Mackie Nelson (6), Samyha Suffren (4), and Sophie Swanson (2) helped Virginia Tech outrebound Towson 59-31, including 18 offensive rebounds.

Pace  / Attack / Transition

The second consistent theme that will define this team is aggressiveness, whether attacking in the half-court or looking to score quickly in transition. The team is going to pressure defenses, which contributed to 29 fouls by Towson and 30 free throw attempts by Virginia Tech. Players like Nelson, Wenzel, Daley, and Suffren are  going to attack the lane. Players will also look for scoring opportunities in transition. The very first play of the game saw VT win the jump ball and immediately pass to a streaking Freelon for a transition pass and layup. Freelon was the beneficiary of a couple of more transition buckets early in the game. Wenzel hit a streaking Suffren for a layup and then Leila Wells for a running layup and a foul both in the first half.  Nelson passed ahead to Swanson on the wing for a made three pointer in the second quarter. It appears that this team is going to attack aggressively in transition as much as it can. It has the speed and quickness to make defenses pay if teams don’t get back in any organized defense. In regard to transition offense, Duffy added, “I thought Kilah started off really well for us with that, pushing tempo, and getting some easy buckets from our point guards and that set the tone.”

While the first quarter and parts of the second quarter felt hectic at times, the Hokies played with fast pace throughout the game. Virginia Tech had 87 possessions over 40 minutes. When asked about the pace, Wenzel pointed out, “That’s what we are trying to incorporate this year. Last year, I think we kind of settled things down a lot. That’s just not what we want to do this year. Kind of get things going, whether that be defensively, getting steals and getting out, or just getting it right out of the net and pushing pace. I think Kilah did a real good job for us. She just ran the court. The length that she brings and athleticism is a game changer for us. And when the guards run their lanes, it opens up so much for the ball handler (her and Nelson mostly).”

When asked about that tempo, Coach Duffy said, “We talk about pushing the tempo as much as we can and, as long as we are taking good quality shots, we can live with those. We didn’t have to run a ton of offense throughout the game, which is ok for the first game. I want them to play free. I want them to be confident. I want that ball moving. We look at assists per made basket. I thought we did a pretty good job of sharing the ball… We talk about not necessarily when we are going to get the shot in the shot clock but just making sure they are good quality shots.” To that point, the team totaled 22 assists on 37 made baskets!

Indeed, even with the faster pace, the Hokies took care of the ball. The team only had fourteen total turnovers,with only five coming in the second half when they put the game away.

Balance and Versatility

Every player on the roster got into the game, and ten of the twelve players scored, with five players finishing in double digits. Freelon and Peterson were the stars of the game with their aforementioned double-doubles. 

Kayl Peterson paced the team with those career-high 17 points, eleven rebounds, and three assists. She was two-for-two from three and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. 

Duffy talked about Peterson, saying ““I always think there’s a big jump from your freshman to your sophomore year, and Kayl just fills into her role so nicely. Just does all the small things for us. Carys got a couple fouls and was out in that first half, [Kayl] just seamlessly went in and got a couple buckets, big rebounds, and then that three ball opened up in the second half. Just very proud of her game… Great night for Kayl across the board…. Couldn’t ask for a better opener for her. The eleven rebounds I am sure she will be the most proud of because we have been talking about our rebounding and our defense, so.. A great night for Kayl across the board…Could not ask for a better opener for her.”

Kayl herself pointed to her transition to being a sophomore, “the confidence to be able to come out on the court, stronger, whether that is in the weight room, or on the court. Just rebounding and people getting me open for shots.”

In addition to her 15 points and 11 rebounds, Kilah Freelon also chipped in with one assist, two steals, and one block. Duffy described her as “a leader in so many ways….Her experience of knowing the game and knowing where to be at the right spot. She does a lot of things for us…I look forward to helping her develop.  She wanted to develop her offensive side. She has always been a good defender and a good rebounder. She is stepping into a little bit more confidence with her offense.”

Carys Baker, unfortunately, spent part of the first half in foul trouble, but got on track in the second half scoring all eight of her points after intermission. She also contributed seven rebounds (four offensive) and continued her all around play. While she did not score, Aniya Trent was active with five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. Amani Jenkins got in the scoring column with 2 points and added two rebounds. Spela Brecelj also made her debut in a Hokie uniform.

The guards showed their depth, versatility, and interchangeability. Carleigh Wenzel finished with 14 points, five defensive rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocked shots.  She was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. Samyha Suffen contributed 12 points, four rebounds, one assist, and three steals. Mel Daley, whose pull-up game Wenzel called “outrageous”, scored 11 points from drives and pullup jumpshots and added one rebound, one assist, one steal, and one block. Mackenzie Nelson, who is poised to be a greater offensive threat, added 9 points, six rebounds (2 offensive), seven assists, and was 3-for-6 from the line. Samyha Suffen contributed 12 points, four rebounds, one assist, and three steals. Leila Wells chipped in with a career high 7 points and one assist. Lastly, Sophie Swanson scored 5 points and added two rebounds and one assist. Wenzel alluded to Swanson being on a minutes restriction, and expects her to be dangerous when fully healthy.

Duffy wants players like Wenzel and Nelson to “dictate the pace and tempo and are doing it in different ways. I thought they did a great job finding different teammates. I thought the way they spread the ball around was really positive tonight. Both very good passers. Both are capable of scoring too. Every game, they just have to find their balance of distributing and taking their open shots. Overall, our point guard play was pretty solid.” 

Over the course of the season, the team is going to get contributions from different places in any given game. The rotation will undoubtedly change as the schedule toughens, but the early part of the season gives players the chance to contribute. When asked about how she felt about the team versatility-wise, Duffy said, “A lot of players deserve to be out there. They are working hard. We talked about having more depth at all positions and I thought we showed that. I felt like we were hockey subbing in that first and second quarter just getting a lot of fresh bodies in. Kept it a little bit more stable in that third quarter, but we are going to keep evolving our lineups… It was good to see a lot of people contribute and be in that scoring column.”

Quick Hands, Quick Feet, Interchangeability

Coach Duffy prioritized athleticism, quickness, and defense in the offseason with Tech’s portal additions. It showed. The team played man defense throughout the night: players switched aggressively on screens and, for the most part, kept opposing players in front of them. It felt like every single player, including the freshmen forwards, could switch and guard any opposing player on the perimeter. In addition, Nelson and Peterson picked up right where they left off last year drawing charges, and players like Wenzel and Mel Daley scrapped to create turnovers. There will be tougher competition, but this team is going to fight and be tough on defense. 

Samyha Suffren

Speaking of quickness and defense, Samyha Suffren deserves her own section. She only played in ten games last year and, when she went down for the season, the team lost both depth and the extra dimension of her speed and quickness. Oh my! Coach Duffy wanted Suffren to have fun and she just might have.  In a span of minutes, Suffren stole three passes and drove in for layups on the opposite end. She score six points off three steals in a matter of minutes and overall pressured the defense with drives to the basket to the tune of 12 total points. The Hokies have quality guard depth, but Suffren is going to be a difference maker both on offense and defense. As Duffy said, “The more she plays, the better she is going to get.”

The Freshmen Posts 

Both Aniya Trent and Amani Jenkins made nice contributions in the game. Trent debuted in the second quarter whereas Jenkins got in late in the third. Jenkins made an immediate contribution with an offensive rebound, putback, and foul. Both forwards have nice mobility. They had to guard players on the perimeter and had to step out on screens by their players and briefly contain a guard. They did an admirable job rotating back into the lane to recover to their player to prevent a pass inside for a potential score.  There was also a play where Jenkins rotated from a help position outside the lane into the lane to stop an open opponent, and even secured a jump ball. That awareness, as well as their overall physicality, will help them contribute early.

Final Thoughts

This was Virginia Tech’s first game of the 2024-25 season, and Towson is an opponent that Tech should defeat comfortably. There are going to be tougher games down the road, especially in ACC play. However, there is great value in these early season games. As Coach Duffy said, “The most important thing about tonight (yes, getting the win is great) but to see those freshmen out there. To see the transfers. Returners are always ready. To get those new players in the jersey, in front of our fans, the band, just the environment…is a really good feeling. These early games give them some confidence and help them understand what to expect every night.” Game one is in the books. The Hokies play next this Sunday, November 9 at 2:00 in Cassell against Loyola (MD). More Biscuits!

Here is the condensed game on Youtube