BLACKSBURG, Va. —
Preseason All-SEC standout
Liv McGill poured in 30 points, and Florida’s defense limited Virginia Tech to 40.3 percent shooting, but the Hokies managed to pull out a 68-64 win Thursday night.
KEY RUNS
1st Quarter (Gators 19, Hokies 19)
The Hokies hit their first four shots to jump ahead 10-2. Coach Finley called a timeout to regroup, and Gift Ezekiel answered with a basket to stop the run. The Gators then scored eight straight and 17 of the next 22. Liv McGill led all scorers with 11 points, while Mackenzie Nelson paced the Hokies with seven. Florida forced five turnovers, including four from Carys Baker, who had committed only three in over 240 minutes of play entering the game.
2nd Quarter (Gators 34, Hokies 34)
Virginia Tech closed the first quarter with four points and opened the second with another basket to retake the lead. The period featured two ties and six lead changes, with neither team ahead by more than three until McGill’s three-point play with 1:43 left pushed Florida up 34-29. She scored eight in the quarter, while the Gators held leading scorer Carleigh Wenzel to just two points on 0-for-6 shooting in the half.
3rd Quarter (Gators 52, Hokies 51)
With the score tied at 41, the Hokies strung together six straight points, including two fast-break layups by Carys Baker. Another timeout from Finley steadied the Gators, who answered with six straight of their own. A jumper by Samyha Suffren briefly put Virginia Tech back in front, but Alexia Dizeko scored five consecutive points to give Florida its largest lead of the quarter, 52-49.
4th Quarter (Hokies 68, Gators 64)
The game was tied 57-57 with 6:04 remaining when the Hokies went on a decisive 6-0 run. Florida went scoreless for nearly four minutes during that stretch, though
McGill’s three-pointer with 2:10 left cut the deficit to 63-60. That was as close as the Gators would get, as Virginia Tech held on for the win.
Gator Bites
- Florida shot 43.1% (25-58), while Virginia Tech hit 40.3% (27-67).
- The Hokies attempted nine more shots, aided by a 12-9 edge in offensive rebounds and committing six fewer turnovers (16 vs. 22).
- Free throws proved pivotal: Virginia Tech went 11-for-15, while Florida finished 8-for-16.
- From deep, the Gators made 6-of-14, compared to 3-of-15 for the Hokies.
- Florida held Carleigh Wenzel to eight points on 2-of-12 shooting, but Carys Baker scored 24 on 10-of-16.
Key Stats
- The Gators are now 3-2 all-time against Virginia Tech.
- Liv McGill has scored in double figures in 11 straight games (30 points), topped 20 points seven times this season and 20 times in her career, and reached 30 points for the second time this year and in her career.
- McGill went 11-for-26 for her 30 points, while the rest of the team combined for 14-of-32 and 34 points.
- Laila Reynolds added 10 points, her eighth double-figure game of the season and 34th of her career.
NEXT OPPONENT
The Gators return home for the rest of December, beginning with a Sunday, Dec. 7 matchup against South Alabama at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. EST.
