Women’s basketball drops conference opener
After winning two straight games the previous week, women’s basketball fell short in both matchups this week against Iona College and conference foe The George Washington University.
The Rams couldn’t handle a second half surge by George Washington, dropping their Atlantic 10 conference opener Friday Dec. 2, 81-67.
VCU started off solid, shooting 43 percent in the first half and went into the break up 36-27. However, George Washington soared out of the locker room in the third quarter and quickly erased the deficit.
The Colonials were too hot to stop, shooting a gaudy 60 percent from the field. VCU was outscored in the third quarter 32-13, making for a 10-point GW deficit at the end of the frame. The surge in the third quarter was too much for the Rams to overcome as the Colonials built a 22-point lead with 5:26 to go in the fourth.
The Rams had trouble stopping George Washington from scoring inside. The Colonials scored almost half of their points in the paint and outscored the Rams in points-in-the-paint, 40-22.
On the other side of the ball, VCU was unable to generate fastbreak points, a category they typically excel in, as they were edged by George Washington 8-0 on points in transition.
The Rams were led offensively by senior guard Keira Robinson, as she led all scorers with 19 points and five assists. Redshirt-senior guard GG Goodhope continued her hot streak as she scored in double figures for the third straight game, coming away with 14 points.
The Rams fell short in a nail bitter against Iona, 59-57 Wednesday, Nov. 30.
VCU trailed at the end of the third quarter, 43-35. However, the Rams mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, putting themselves in position to tie the game in the closing minutes. The Rams had a final possession with only 10 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, however, Robinson’s jump shot at the buzzer just barely rimmed-out.
The big defect on the night for the Rams was the rebound differential. VCU was outrebounded by Iona 43-27. This led to an edge in second chance points by Iona, 19-8.
The Rams’ inability to box out and grab rebounds led to second and third shot opportunities for Iona throughout the matchup. Although the Gaels didn’t shoot well, the rebound differential allowed them to grind out baskets.
Scoring came at a premium for VCU as they shot only 38 percent from the field on the night. Iona presented matchup difficulties throughout the contest. The game fell out of VCU’s control in the third quarter as they only shot 23 percent, which gave Iona an opportunity to make a run and build an 8-point lead.
The VCU bench had a big night, outscoring Iona’s 18-8. This spark from the bench helped the Rams to stay within striking distance until the final possession.
VCU was led offensively by Goodhope as she had another great performance, dropping a season high 17 points Robinson scored nine points and led the Rams in rebounds with five on the night.
Rodney Robinson
Contributing Writer
