BLACKSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — In a commanding display of defense and rebounding, the Virginia Tech Hokies remained undefeated with an 87-51 victory over the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Thursday night at a raucous Cassell Coliseum.

The Hokies, improving to 3-0, never trailed, using a stifling defensive effort that forced 23 Gardner-Webb turnovers and capitalized on a staggering 28 offensive rebounds. The Runnin’ Bulldogs, meanwhile, fell to 0-4 on the young season, struggling to find any consistent offensive rhythm against Virginia Tech’s pressure.

Virginia Tech set the tone early, closing the first quarter on a 12-0 run to take a 20-8 lead. The Hokies’ dominance on the glass was immediate, with Kilah Freelon grabbing multiple offensive rebounds in the opening period. The lead expanded to 40-23 by halftime as the Hokies continued to convert Gardner-Webb’s miscues into points, scoring 15 points off turnovers in the first half alone.

Any hope of a Gardner-Webb comeback was extinguished in the third quarter, where Virginia Tech delivered a decisive 29-17 period. The Hokies’ offense found its peak efficiency, shooting 50 percent from the floor in the quarter while their defense continued to harass the Runnin’ Bulldogs into difficult shots and more turnovers. By the start of the fourth quarter, the Hokies held an insurmountable 69-40 advantage and cruised to the finish line before an announced crowd of 3,951.

The statistical disparity told the story of the lopsided contest. Virginia Tech’s relentless work on the offensive glass resulted in a 28-6 advantage in offensive rebounds, leading to 25 second-chance points compared to just two for Gardner-Webb. The Hokies also scored 30 points off the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ 23 turnovers, while Gardner-Webb managed only 11 points off Virginia Tech’s eight giveaways.

Virginia Tech’s balanced scoring attack was led by Samyha Suffren, who poured in 17 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists. Kilah Freelon was a force in the paint, recording a monstrous double-double with 12 points and a game-high 18 rebounds, 10 of which came on the offensive end. Mel Daley provided a potent scoring punch off the bench with 14 points, and Carleigh Wenzel added 12 points.

Gardner-Webb was led by Jaelyn Acker, who finished with 11 points. Makayla Legette also reached double figures with 10 points. Amira Ofunniyin battled inside for a team-high 10 rebounds to go with seven points, while Kayla Martin contributed six points and two blocks.

From the field, Virginia Tech shot 37 percent on 29-of-78 shooting, while Gardner-Webb managed a slightly better 38 percent but on far fewer attempts, making 19 of 50 shots. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, with the Hokies hitting 8 of 34 and the Runnin’ Bulldogs making 7 of 20. A key difference came at the free-throw line, where Virginia Tech attempted 27 free throws, making 21, compared to Gardner-Webb’s 9-of-12 performance.

Virginia Tech will look to continue its winning ways when it hosts Coastal Carolina on Saturday. Gardner-Webb, still in search of its first win, returns home to face Hampton on Sunday.