BLACKSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by missed opportunities and physical play, the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team used a decisive third-quarter run to pull away from Georgia Tech for a 62-51 Atlantic Coast Conference victory Sunday at Cassell Coliseum.

The game, a rematch of last season’s ACC Tournament championship, lacked the offensive fireworks of that meeting. Instead, it was a grind, with both teams combining for 36 turnovers and struggling to find consistent scoring rhythm. The Hokies ultimately leaned on a more balanced attack and capitalized on a critical stretch after halftime to secure their 21st win of the season.

Virginia Tech improved to 21-8 overall and strengthened its position in the ACC standings. Georgia Tech, which had won two of its last three, fell to 12-16.

The most important sequence of the game came early in the third quarter, with Virginia Tech protecting a 31-28 halftime lead. The Hokies opened the second half on a 12-2 surge over the first six minutes, holding the Yellow Jackets to a single field goal. The run was fueled by defensive stops and timely scoring from Samyha Suffren and Carys Baker. This pushed the Hokies’ advantage to 43-30, a margin Georgia Tech could never seriously threaten, as the Yellow Jackets failed to get the deficit back to single digits for the remainder of the contest.

Suffren, a guard from Charlotte, North Carolina, led all scorers with 16 points, adding five rebounds. Carleigh Wenzel of San Antonio contributed 15 points and six rebounds, while Baker from West Hartford, Connecticut, posted a stat-stuffing line of 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, anchoring the Virginia Tech defense.

Georgia Tech was led by Talayah Walker’s 17 points, but the guard from Odenton, Maryland, was forced into nine turnovers. Savannah Samuel added 13 points for the Yellow Jackets. The story for Georgia Tech, however, was the all-around effort of forward Brianna Turnage. The Atlanta native played 40 minutes, grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds to go with four points, three assists and four blocks, but her seven turnovers mirrored her team’s struggles with Virginia Tech’s defensive pressure.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring 10 lead changes. Georgia Tech’s largest lead was four points early in the first quarter, but Virginia Tech responded with an 8-0 run to take control. The Hokies led 31-28 at the break despite shooting struggles from the floor, as they forced 13 Georgia Tech turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

Virginia Tech’s defense remained the constant, contesting shots at the rim throughout. The Hokies finished with 11 blocks as a team, with Baker and Kilah Freelon (three blocks) providing a formidable interior presence. Georgia Tech’s offense, which shot under 32% from the field for the game, repeatedly failed to finish through contact, a key factor in the outcome.

Mackenzie Nelson, though scoring just seven points, orchestrated the Virginia Tech offense with six assists and played a key role in their defensive scheme with three steals and a block.

For Georgia Tech, Spanish center Ariadna Termis provided a spark off the bench with five points, four assists and three blocks in 27 minutes, but the Yellow Jackets could not sustain any offensive momentum against the disciplined Hokies.

Virginia Tech concludes its regular season on the road next Sunday against in-state rival Virginia. Georgia Tech returns home to host Louisville on Thursday before a Sunday matchup with Miami.