VCU women’s hoops reaches the pinnacle
Photo by Pilar Curtis
Women’s basketball is looking to end the regular season on a high note: the Rams were on the road this week, where they experienced both jubilation and defeat.
VCU beat George Washington for the first time in program history, with a final score of 79-68 on the road Saturday.
A week prior, the lady Rams lost 62-50 against the University of Richmond Spiders on Valentine’s Day. The Rams opened the game with great energy and got out to an early lead, but could not overcome the hot shooting of Richmond junior guard Janelle Hubbard, who ended the day with 22 points and two steals.
Senior forward Adaeze Alaeze led the Rams, who tallied a near double-double with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a block. Alaeze was helped by junior guard Ashley Pegram, who contributed 10 points and six rebounds.
Although VCU out-rebounded the Spiders 40-32, the Rams’ poor shooting proved too much to overcome. The Rams went 0-7 from the 3-point arc, whereas the Spiders made seven 3-pointers.
Looking to bounce back from a loss to their rival, head coach Beth O’Boyle’s team traveled to Kingston, Rhode Island, where the Rams faced the University of Rhode Island three days later. VCU defeated Rhode Island in a low scoring game of 49-36. Despite the low score, the game marked a career night for Junior guard Isis Thorpe.
While Thorpe’s output was lacking, she entered herself into VCU history by scoring her 1,000th career point. Thorpe ended the night with three points, two steals and two assists. Thorpe attributes the success to the “three G’s.”
“Three G’s,” Thorpe said. “Goals come from grind and God.”
Although Thorpe may not have had a great game, her teammates gave her plenty of support. Alaeze gave the Rams consistent play with her efforts, contributing again a near double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Curteeona Breelove gave the Black and Gold the extra surge they needed to overcome the Rams of URI by scoring a team-high 15 points and grabbing six rebounds.
The Rams are currently tied for fifth place in the Atlantic 10 Conference, with two games remaining on the regular season schedule.
Erika Robinson, Contributing Writer
