Dropping two out of their last three games and opening ACC play on Sunday afternoon at home against Duke, Thursday night's ACC/SEC Challenge game at Cassell Coliseum against Florida could have been considered a must-win for the Virginia Tech women's basketball team.
The Gators came into the game winners of four straight and 8-1 overall. The two teams combined for 40 turnovers, 22 by Florida and 18 by Virginia Tech, but when the dust settled, the Hokies' defense got more stops in the fourth quarter to escape with a four-point victory to improve to 7-2 on the season.
Three observations from Virginia Tech's win over Florida
1. Carys Baker had monster game
Virginia Tech is a balanced team this year, and on any night, someone different can't lead them offensively. Thursday night, it was Carys Baker's turn, and they needed everything they got from her. She finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds. She was 10-for-16 from the floor and made two of her six 3-point attempts. She played 37 of the 40 minutes and the 23 points and 36 minutes player were not game-highs. We'll explain below.
2. Carleigh Wenzel made some big plays on defense
Carleigh Wenzel struggled shooting and scoring in general, making just two of her 12 field goal attempts. She was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw and finished with eight points. She also had five rebounds and six assists, but it was her defense late in the game that sealed the win. Liv McGill, the Gators' best player, was called for a charge on a fastbreak late in the game when Wenzel took it. That was a big call as McGill fouled out on the next Hokies possession, which was huge. Wenzel has really become one of Megan Duffy's top defenders.
3. Virginia Tech survives Liv McGill's offensive performance
McGill was very good for Florida, and she was the best player on the court most of the night. She plays with a chip on her shoulder, but she backed it up. She played 39 minutes and finished with a game-high 30 points, three rebounds, and three assists. She will cause a lot of problems for teams in the SEC this season.
This will be a win that will look very good at the end of the season when it comes time for selection into the NCAA Tournament. There is another golden résumé opportunity coming on Sunday afternoon against Duke.