BLACKSBURG -Virginia Tech women's basketball opens its 2026-27 season against North Carolina Central tonight. Read below for a game thread, organized in reverse chronological order.
FINAL | Virginia Tech 85, NC Central 39
Virginia Tech wins its 13th straight season-opener. #Hokies held NC Central scoreless from the arc (0-for-11) and limited the Eagles to a 0.10 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Carleigh Wenzel with 17. Amani Jenkins, Jessica Dimaro with 13.
Q4 3:39 | Virginia Tech 81, NC Central 34
Both teams a combined 0-for-7 from deep this frame. 6-of-21 from the field. All five of the Hokies' starters are now on the bench; they're running a lineup of Natalee Goff, Francesca Baldassarre, Anderson, Amani Jenkins and Arianna Harris-Mott.
Q4 6:30 | Virginia Tech 78, NC Central 32
The Hokies are 3-of-9 to start the final frame. At this point, though, it means little - Virginia Tech's up 46, after all.
Q3 END | Virginia Tech 72, NC Central 28
Virginia Tech is up 44 entering the final frame. It is 7-of-12 inside the arc in the third quarter. Carleigh Wenzel leads with 17 points. Jessica Dimaro's scored 13, while Samyha Suffren and Leila Wells have added 11 and 10, respectively.
Q3 2:01 | Virginia Tech 67, Boston College 26
The Hokies are 8-of-15 in the third quarter so far, though they're 1-of-4 from deep (7-of-11 mark inside).
Q3 6:06 | Virginia Tech 58, NC Central 22
Virginia Tech is 5-of-7 to start the third frame. Suffren is also into double-digits (11p).
HALFTIME | Virginia Tech 47, NC Central 14
#Hokies went 7-for-20 from the field - including a 1-of-9 mark from deep - but held NC Central to just four points.
Virginia Tech up 33 at the half, paced by Carleigh Wenzel (11p). Samyha Suffren and Jessica Dimaro have tallied nine and eight points, respectively.
Q2 5:16 | Virginia Tech 41, NC Central 10
The Hokies up 31 after a Wenzel trey (she's now up to 11 points). NC Central has missed its last nine shots.
Q2 8:10 | Virginia Tech 38, NC Central 10
An 11-0 run for the Hokies dating back through the first quarter necessitates an NC Central timeout. The Eagles have shot 22.7% (5-for-22) from the field.
Q1 END | Virginia Tech 32, NC Central 10
Five-point run ends the first frame. Eight Hokies have scored so far in this one, paced by Wenzel's eight points.
Q1 1:01 | Virginia Tech 29, NC Central 10
Arianna Harris-Mott making her collegiate debut. Wenzel got fouled at the 1:01 mark and made both free throws. She's 2-of-6, though she's made four of her six free throws for a team-high eight points.
Q1 1:12 | Virginia Tech 27, NC Central 8
Another and-one for Wenzel. Missed the free throw, though Hokies lead by 19.
Q1 2:00 | Virginia Tech 23, NC State Central 6
Virginia Tech's run came to end off a Eboni Clay jumper, but Hokies guard Kate Sears hit back with one of her own - her first points at the college level. She had 15 in the Hokies' preseason exhibition vs. Maryland.
Q1 2:50 | Virginia Tech 21, NC Central 4
The Hokies are up 17; Wenzel made the free throw. She's up to four points (1-5 FG).
Q1 2:54 | Virginia Tech 20, NC Central 4
Anderson scores again. After scoring on a layup with 5:19 to go, she potted one from beyond the arc. Then, Wenzel with the and-one.
Q1 3:53 | Virginia Tech 15, NC Central 4
Another turnover resulting in points. This time, it's one that led to a Leila Wells Eurostep.
Q1 4:32 | Virginia Tech 13, NC Central 4
Wenzel missed the first one, but knocked down the second. The Hokies now hold a nine-point lead.
Q1 4:32 | Virginia Tech 12, NC Central 4
Wenzel with the steal, fouled in transition. To the line she goes. She's 0-for-4 today.
Q1 4:59 | Virginia Tech 12, NC Central 4
She nailed it. Anderson then produced her first points off a drive and lay-in from the left side. The Hokies are up eight at the media timeout.
Q1 5:40 | Virginia Tech 9, NC Central 4
Suffren with a nice jab to get space for the basket and the foul on the left block. The Hokies are up by five with Suffren up for the free-throw attempt.
Q1 6:47 | Virginia Tech 7, NC Central 4
First three of the season comes from Leila Wells. The Hokies made just one of their first five shots, by the way.
Q1 7:54 | Virginia Tech 4, NC Central 2
Virginia Tech couldn't bank points on its first possession, but its next two resulted in Jessica Dimaro buckets. The Hokies lead.
Q1 START | NC Central 2, Virginia Tech 0
The Hokies missed three straight shots to open the game. Sloppy sequence where Victoria Morris came down with the rebound and subsequent lay-in the game's first points.
Q1 START | Virginia Tech 0, NC Central 0
Virginia Tech wins the tip, and its 2026-27 season is underway.
The Hokies' starting lineup is as follows:
guard Carleigh Wenzel
guard Leila Wells
forward Jessica Dimaro
guard Samyha Suffren
forward Aniya Trent
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as Virginia Tech WBB vs NC Central Live Updates: Score, Analysis and Highlights From Tonight's Opener .
