Freshman Jessica Dimaro grabs Virginia Tech-record 24 rebounds at VCU

Virginia Tech freshman Jessica Dimaro scored 23 points and grabbed a program-record 24 rebounds on Thursday night as the Hokies beat VCU 77-66 at the Siegel Center in Richmond, per Virginia Tech Athletics and the ESPN box score.

She is the first player in Virginia Tech history to post 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game. The old school rebounding mark was 21, set by Elizabeth Kitley on Jan. 17, 2021. Dimaro also had 17 offensive rebounds, six more than the previous program record from 2009. Her 24 boards are the second-most in a game in ACC history, according to Virginia Tech.

It took her 27 minutes. Dimaro went 9-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-8 at the line with two blocks. She had a double-double inside the first 12 minutes and went into halftime with 15 points and 15 rebounds, per SI's Hokies site. By the first timeout of the fourth quarter she had 21 rebounds, one more than the entire VCU team.

That mattered, because the game was tied 30-30 at the break. The Hokies won the glass 52-27, scored 26 second-chance points to VCU's zero and outscored the Rams 52-32 in the paint. A 10-2 run to open the fourth put Tech up 64-49. Alyssa Latham added a season-high 19 points, Carleigh Wenzel scored 17 and Aniya Trent grabbed 10 rebounds, a career high, per WSLS.

"Jessie's a talent," coach Megan Duffy said. "Those numbers are incredible." The win was the 200th of Duffy's career.

Dimaro is a 6-foot-4 center from Nigeria who played professionally in Japan before college, per the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Through four games she is averaging 15.5 points and 14.5 rebounds, by her ESPN game log, with an earlier 13-and-13 night against North Carolina Central.

Virginia Tech is 4-0 and won in Richmond for the first time since 1995. The Hokies host La Salle on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on ACCNX. Watch her offensive rebounding against bigger frontcourts in December, starting with Tennessee's visit on Dec. 3. If she keeps owning the glass, she belongs in the ACC freshman conversation.