Late Hokies Run Gives Virginia Tech 68-64 Win over Visiting Gators

Thursday, December 4

Blacksburg, VA

5 p.m.

Florida Gators

8-2,0-0SEC

Virginia Tech

7-2,0-0ACC

Florida

Virginia Tech

Late Hokies Run Gives Virginia Tech 68-64 Win over Visiting Gators

Thursday, December 4, 2025 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: John Maxwell

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Preseason All-SEC selection Liv McGill scored 30 points, and Florida's defense held Virginia Tech to 40.3 percent shooting from the field, but it wasn't enough as the Hokies eked out a 68-64 victory Thursday evening.

KEY RUNS
1st Quarter (Gators 19, Hokies 19)

The Hokies connected on their first four field goal attempts of the night, and jumped out to an early 10-2 lead. Coach Finley used a timeout to settle the troops, and Gift Ezekiel scored on Florida's next possession to end the run, as the Gators rattled off the next eight straight, and 17 of the next 22. Liv McGill led all scorers with 11 points, while Mackenzie Nelson led the Hokies with seven. Florida forced Virginia Tech into committing five turnovers including four by Carys Baker, who had only three miscues over 240-plus minutes this season entering the game.

2nd Quarter (Gators 34, Hokies 34)

Virginia Tech scored the final four points of the first quarter, and the first basket of the second to re-take the lead. Throughout the period there were two ties and six lead changes, but neither team went up by more than three until Liv McGill's old-fashioned three-point play with 1:43 to go put Florida up five, 34-29. McGill scored eight in the stanza, as the Gators held Hokies' leading scorer Carleigh Wenzel to two points over the first 20 minutes of play on zero for six shooting.

3rd Quarter (Gators 52, Hokies 51)

Tied at 41, the Hokies rattled off six straight points including a pair of fast break layups by Carys Baker. Coach Finley again called a timeout to stem the tide, and the Gators responded by scoring six straight. A Samyha Suffren jumper put Virginia Tech back on top, but Alexia Dizeko scored five straight to give Florida its largest lead of the period, 52-49.

4th Quarter (Hokies 68, Gators 64)

The game was tied 57-57 with 6:04 on the clock when the Hokies scored six straight points. Virginia Tech held the Gators without a point for nearly four minutes during that stretch, but a Liv McGill triple with 2:10 on the clock sliced the Hokies' advantage in half, 63-60. That was, unfortunately, as close as the Gators would get as Virginia Tech held on for the win.

KEY STATS

Florida shot 43.1% from the field (25-58), while the Hokies shot 40.3% (27-67).
Virginia Tech took nine more field goal attempts than the Gators thanks to a 12-9 advantage in offensive rebounds, and six fewer turnovers (22 to 16).
The Hokies went 11 for 15 from the free throw line while the Gators went eight for 16.
Florida made six of 14 shots from long range, while the Hokies went three for 15.
The Gators held Hokies' leading scorer Carleigh Wenzel to just eight points on two of 12 shooting, but Carys Baker scored 24 points on 10 of 16 from the field.

GATOR BITES

The Gators are now 3-2 all-time against Virginia Tech.
Liv McGill scored in double figures for the 11th straight game (30 points), 20 or more points for the seventh time this season and the 20th time in her career, and 30 or more points for the second time this season and in her career.
Liv McGill went 11 for 26 from the field for 30 points, while the rest of the Gators were 14 for 32 for 34 points.
Laila Reynolds scored in double figures for the eighth time this season, and the 34th time in her career (10 points).

NEXT OPPONENT
The Gators return home for the remainder of the month beginning with a Sunday, Dec. 7 meeting with South Alabama. Tip at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center is at 2 p.m. EST.

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