WOMEN’S BASKETBALL- Rams hold off Dragons’ late rally

On Thursday, VCU forced 24 turnovers
but couldn’t score in a loss at
Delaware. Seventy-two hours sure made
a difference. La’Tavia Rorie (Charlotte,
N.C./Harding University) scored the goahead
basket with 54 seconds remaining
and LaKea Jones (Fort Washington,
Md./National Christian Academy) forced
two late turnovers to seal the win in a
65-61 victory over visiting Drexel Sunday
afternoon.

The Rams led the game for more than
20 minutes before a Gabriela Marginean
layup with 1:47 remaining gave the
Dragons a 56-55 lead, their first since
6:17 in the first half. However, Rorie’s
layup came less than a minute later
and gave the Rams the lead for good
at 57-56.

“With a minute left, I just knew we
needed a basket,” Rorie said.

Jones followed with a steal near midcourt
and a layup to push the Rams’ lead
to three points. Two possessions later
with Drexel down two with possession
of the ball, Jones struck again, as she
picked the ball off at the top of the key
and was fouled. She followed by hitting
two foul shots and pushing the VCU
lead to 62-58.

“I just saw a loose ball and I knew we
had to get the ball back, because they’re
a good shooting team, Jones said. “I was
just determined to get the ball.”

Drexel got a late three from Alison
Lupariello, but the Rams hit three late
free throws to protect the 4-point lead.

While the game ended close, VCU
spent much of the middle portion of the
game in cruise control. Down 20-16 with
6:41 remaining in the first half, the Rams
went on a 13-3 run capped by a Rorie
3-pointer with two seconds left to give
VCU a 29-23 lead at the break. Drexel
was unable to get any closer than three
until an 8-2 run tied the score at 44 with
8:05 remaining. VCU answered with a
9-0 run that put the Rams ahead 53-44
with 4:40 remaining in the game.

The remaining time was a battle of
who could hold on to the ball. Drexel
forced two turnovers and converted a basket and two free throws
to bring the score to 55-54 before Marginean’s layup forced the
lead change. However, Rorie followed with her shot, which proved
to be the game winner.

“Our kids did a good job despite not executing exactly how we
wanted to down the stretch,” VCU head coach Beth Cunningham
said.

VCU center Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake/Great Bridge)
recorded another double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Rorie had 14 points and four assists while Jones had 10 points,
six rebounds and three steals. Marginean led all scorers with 24
points on 11-of-18 shooting.

—

By the numbers:

Drexel (7-4 CAA, 12-10): Johnson 6, Hester 9,
Marginean 24, McCullough 0, N. Suber 9, Rosseel
5, Lupariello 3, A. Suber 5, Cornish 0. Totals: 24 6-6
61. 3-pointers: Marginean 2, Hester, McCullough, N.
Suber, Lupariello, A. Suber.

VCU (8-3, 18-4): Bachvarova 9, Hollingsworth 15,
Waller 3, Jones 10, Rorie 14, Vaughn 11, Moss 2,
Pinkney 1. Totals: 20 21-26 65. 3-pointers: Bachvarova
2, Rorie 2.