BLACKSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — In a game defined by grit over grace, the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to edge Clemson 71-68 in an Atlantic Coast Conference clash on Thursday night at Cassell Coliseum.

The contest was a defensive struggle marked by turnovers and physical play, but the Hokies found their offensive rhythm when it mattered most, outscoring the Lady Tigers 22-9 in the final period to erase a deficit and secure the victory before a crowd of 3,992.

Clemson, which led for the majority of the game, appeared in control entering the fourth quarter with a 59-49 advantage. The Lady Tigers had built their lead behind efficient inside scoring, shooting 50% from the floor for the game. Taylor Johnson-Matthews led Clemson with 20 points, while Raven Thompson added 16.

Virginia Tech, however, chipped away with relentless defense and crucial free throws. The Hokies forced 19 Clemson turnovers, converting them into key opportunities, and capitalized at the foul line, making 23 of 31 attempts compared to Clemson’s 14 of 20. The game featured 46 total turnovers and just 10 combined assists, underscoring the defensive intensity.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute with the score tied. After a Virginia Tech timeout with 26 seconds remaining, Carleigh Wenzel found Carys Baker for a layup to put the Hokies ahead 69-67 with 11 seconds left. Clemson called a timeout to advance the ball, but on the ensuing inbounds play, Hadley Periman was called for an offensive foul, turning the ball back over to Virginia Tech with 3 seconds remaining.

Wenzel was then fouled and calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to 71-67. A last-second three-point attempt by Clemson was unsuccessful, sealing the Hokies’ comeback.

Wenzel, a sophomore guard from San Antonio, Texas, was instrumental in the victory, scoring a game-high 24 points, including the decisive free throws, and adding two assists. Baker, a sophomore forward from West Hartford, Connecticut, matched Wenzel with 24 points of her own. Their combined 48 points provided the offensive backbone for Virginia Tech on a night where the team shot just 40.4% from the field.

Samyha Suffren provided a critical spark off the bench for the Hokies, contributing 12 points, while Kilah Freelon added 8 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

For Clemson, Mia Moore joined Johnson-Matthews and Thompson in double figures with 12 points. The Lady Tigers won the battle in field goal percentage and out-rebounded Virginia Tech overall, but were ultimately undone by the late turnover and Virginia Tech’s 9-point advantage at the charity stripe.

The victory improved Virginia Tech’s season record to 15-5 overall. The Hokies, who were projected as heavy favorites by advanced metrics, have now won four of their last five conference games.

Clemson fell to 13-7 with the loss, dropping its second close ACC road game this month. The Lady Tigers had won three of their last four, including an overtime victory over Wake Forest last Sunday.

Virginia Tech will travel to face Wake Forest on Sunday. Clemson continues its road trip with a visit to Notre Dame, also on Sunday.

The most important part of the game, based on the play descriptions, was the final 11 seconds. With the score tied 67-67, Virginia Tech executed a perfect half-court set out of a timeout, resulting in a Carleigh Wenzel assist to Carys Baker for a go-ahead layup. Clemson’s immediate response ended disastrously with an offensive foul on the inbounds pass, a turnover that effectively ended the game. Wenzel’s subsequent free throws only extended the lead that was created by this critical two-possession sequence of a made basket and a forced turnover under maximum pressure.