BLACKSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — Virginia Tech used a dominant third-quarter surge and a commanding performance on the glass to roll past Gardner-Webb 87-51 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Cassell Coliseum.

The Hokies remained undefeated on the young season, improving to 3-0, while the Runnin’ Bulldogs fell to 0-4.

Virginia Tech’s control was established early, but the game was decisively put out of reach in the third period. Leading 40-23 at halftime, the Hokies erupted for a 29-point quarter, outscoring Gardner-Webb by 12 points to build an insurmountable 69-40 lead heading into the final frame. The Hokies’ offense operated with ruthless efficiency, scoring 87 points on 71 possessions for an offensive rating of 122.8, while Gardner-Webb managed an offensive rating of just 71.6 on the same number of possessions.

The story of the game was written on the backboards, where Virginia Tech exerted its will with a staggering rebounding advantage. The Hokies corralled 28 offensive rebounds, leading to a plethora of second-chance opportunities, and outrebounded the Runnin’ Bulldogs 28-6 on the offensive glass. Gardner-Webb’s 23 turnovers further compounded their troubles, as Virginia Tech converted those miscues into easy transition baskets.

Virginia Tech’s Kilah Freelon, a 6-foot-1 forward from Denver, Colorado, was the engine of the Hokies’ dominance. In just 24 minutes of action, she recorded a monstrous double-double with 12 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. Her presence in the paint was overwhelming on both ends of the floor.

She was complemented by a sharp-shooting performance from guard Samyha Suffren of Charlotte, North Carolina. Suffren led all scorers with 17 points, adding four rebounds and two assists. Mel Daley, a 5-11 guard from Hastings, New York, provided a potent offensive spark off the bench, contributing 14 points in 16 minutes.

For Gardner-Webb, the effort was led by Amira Ofunniyin of Cary, North Carolina, who posted 7 points and 10 rebounds. Jaelyn Acker from Richfield, Wisconsin, was the only Runnin’ Bulldog to reach double figures in scoring, finishing with 11 points, while Makayla Legette of Latta, South Carolina, added 10 points.

Virginia Tech’s defense was smothering, forcing Gardner-Webb into difficult shots all night. The Runnin’ Bulldogs shot just 38 percent from the floor and were hampered by their ball-handling issues. The Hokies also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 21 of their 27 attempts, while Gardner-Webb visited the line only nine times, making six.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 3,951 at Cassell Coliseum. Virginia Tech will look to continue its unbeaten streak when it hosts Coastal Carolina on Saturday. Gardner-Webb returns home to face Hampton on Sunday as it continues its search for its first victory of the season.