DULUTH, Ga. (theACC.com) – No. 6-seed Virginia Tech rallied from an early 14-point deficit to defeat No. 11-seed Georgia Tech, 62-54, in Game 7 of the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Tournament on Thursday, March 5, at Gas South Arena.
The nightcap of the second round exploded out of the gates with Georgia Tech (14-18) seizing control early. The Yellow Jackets set the tone with a quick 4-0 burst and then delivered a stunning 13-0 run to surge ahead 17-7 by the end of the first quarter.
But the tide turned just as quickly in the second quarter.
After shooting an efficient 46.7 percent (7-of-15) in the opening frame, Georgia Tech’s offense suddenly went cold, managing just 18.2 percent (2-of-11) in the second. That shift opened the door for Virginia Tech (23-8), which took full advantage. After hitting just 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from the floor in the first quarter, Virginia Tech caught fire in the second, scorching the nets at 52.9 percent (9-of-17) to get back into the contest.
Fueled by a game-changing 15-0 run, the Hokies flipped the momentum completely, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 22-6 in the second quarter and soaring ahead into halftime with a 29-23 lead.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth battle filled with momentum swings on both sides. Georgia Tech trimmed the deficit to six early in the period on a pair of free throws from Erica Moon, but Virginia Tech answered with back-to-back three-pointers from Leila Wells and Mackenzie Nelson to stretch the lead to 37-27.
The Yellow Jackets responded with five quick points to cut the margin to 40-35 less than a minute later, only to see the Hokies counter with an 8-2 run, capped by two free throws from Carys Baker, to push the lead back to 11 with 3:35 remaining. Georgia Tech had the final say in the quarter, closing on a 9-2 surge to pull within four at 50-46 heading into the final period.
In the fourth, the Hokies leaned on their defense and rebounding to close it out. After GT’s Talayah Walker cut the deficit to 50-48 early in the period, VT’s Samyha Suffren answered with a jumper, and Carleigh Wenzel connected on a second-chance three to push the lead back to seven. Wenzel later drilled a transition three off a turnover with 2:13 remaining to extend the margin to 60-50 and effectively seal the win.
Nelson led Virginia Tech with 14 points, six assists and nine rebounds, while Wenzel added 15 points. The Hokies finished with a 41-36 rebounding edge and scored 24 points off 17 Georgia Tech turnovers.
Georgia Tech shot 37.0 percent from the field (20-for-54), while Virginia Tech shot 36.2 percent (25-for-69) but made seven three-pointers and controlled the game defensively over the final three quarters.