BLACKSBURG -- Being short-handed is an obstacle, but its nothing like being short.

The Hokies will have to face the second problem soon enough. On Monday, it was simply the first.

Down to just eight players, the taller, faster, better Virginia Tech women's basketball team dominated Presbyterian 64-31 at Cassell Coliseum in its final dress rehearsal before the ACC season gets underway.

"Any time you get a win is fun," admitted Tech point guard Laura Haskins.

But forward Utahya Drye confessed that the Hokies weren't as concerned about the score as they were about the "little things" they need to improve before their ACC schedule begins when Florida State comes to town Thursday night.

"Regardless of the score, we could be up by 50, but if we're not doing what we need to do, it doesn't matter," Drye said.

One of those little things was defense. The Hokies worked on both their man-to-man and 2-3 zone defenses, which worked very well against the undersized Blue Hose.

The 31 points were the fewest Tech has allowed since the program went varsity in 1976. The Hokies permitted 33 points on Dec. 28, 2006 against Winston-Salem State.

Presbyterian (2-10), in just its second season of Division I basketball, hit its first shot of the game and then did not make another basket for 15 minutes.

By then the Hokies were ahead by 20. Tech led 31-8 at halftime.

The Hokies also worked on boxing out, because just because they have guards as tall as Presbyterian forwards, the tallest of whom stands 5-foot-11, that doesn't make them tall when they rub eyeballs to elbows with the bulk of the ACC in the weeks to come.

"We're a little bit undersized," said Haskins.

"We're going to be small going into ACC play," added sDrye. "We're going to have to box out; we're going to have to rebound."

Tech outrebounded the Blue Hose 39-24 and allowed only one offensive rebound to the Hokies' 25 defensive boards.

Drye and Shanel Harrison led Tech with seven rebounds each. Harrison had 15 points and Drye eight.

Haskins had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists. Fellow point guard Nikki Davis also had five assists along with six points and four steals.

Tech coach Beth Dunkenberger said the team worked on its chemistry on both sides of the ball, and said of its offensive chemistry, "a lot of our mistakes can be corrected with better communication on the court."

With Davis a newcomer to the program, Dunkenberger said, she would become more accustomed to her teammates with more playing time.

Tech freshman forward Brittany Lewis sat out with a bruised knee.

Dunkenberger said she was not sure if Lewis, who has averaged 4.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 10 games so far, will be ready to play Thursday.

Center Amber Hall remains out indefinitely with back pain on the already injury-depleted roster.

PRESBYTERIAN (2-10)

Brown 2-6 2-2 6, Smith 4-9 3-3 11, Moore 1-8 0-0 2, Mills 3-9 2-2 10, Stevens 1-2 0-0 2, Wright 0-0 0-0 0, Lee 0-3 0-0 0, Whatley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-37 7-7 31.

VIRGINIA TECH (8-5)

Drye 4-6 0-0 8, Gordon 2-3 2-4 6, Davis 2-7 2-5 6, Biggs 2-5 1-1 6, Haskins 5-9 2-3 12, Logan 2-8 0-1 5, Grey 1-4 0-0 2, Harrison 6-10 3-5 15, Basham 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 26-57 10-19 64.

Halftime--Virginia Tech 31-8. 3-point goals--Presbyterian 2-9 (Mills 2-6, Lee 0-3), Virginia Tech 2-11 (Biggs 1-3, Logan 1-6, Davis 0-1, Basham 0-1). Fouled Out -- None. Rebounds--Presbyterian 24 (Moore 5, Stevens 5), Virginia Tech 39 (Drye 7). Assists -- Presbyterian 8 (Moore 5), Virginia Tech 15 (Davis 5, Haskins 5). Total Fouls -- Presbyterian 14, Virginia Tech 12. A -- 2,113.