VCU women’s basketball season comes to an end
VCU women’s basketball huddles up during a timeout. Photo by Arrick Wilson.
Alexis Washington, Staff Writer
Jenny Allen, Contributing Writer
The finale: VCU vs. La Salle
VCU women’s basketball lost to No. 14 La Salle University in the first round of the Atlantic 10 championship on March 5.
This game also marks the first time VCU head coach Beth O’Boyle stepped on the court after returning from maternity leave.
“I was just happy to have her back, she’s the energy,” said VCU third-year guard Mary-Anna Asare said. “The passion that she brings to her program, it’s just always amazing.”
VCU started off strong after winning the tip-off, setting up Asare for a deep three-pointer at the nine-minute mark.
Locking up the Explorers redshirt second-year guard Ashleigh Connor advanced the Rams lead to 16-11 as the first quarter ended.
Both teams suffered a scoring drought in the first three minutes of the second quarter, according to StatBroadcast.
VCU trailed 23-30 at the end of the first half, while both teams shot 35% from the field and recorded over ten turnovers, according to StatBroadcast.
“The whole message was one possession, one quarter at a time, and that’s really what we were trying to focus on,” O’Boyle said.
VCU kicked off the third quarter with a 10-0 run after Asare’s early layup within the first five minutes.
VCU graduate student forwards Jennifer Ezeh and Mykel Parhan dominated the boards in the third, finishing with a total 20 of the team’s 39 rebounds.
The Rams entered the fourth down 36-35 and the back-and-forth scoring continued in the quarter boiling down to the last minutes.
The Explorers called their last time out to set up an inbound play for the win with eight seconds left, according to StatBroadcast.
Connor took charge and drove for an-and-one layup to give them a two-point lead as time expired, La Salle won 48-50.
“We all wanted to do it for each other and play basketball, especially for our seniors. It really hit hard,” Asare said.
2024-2025 season recap:
VCU women’s basketball team ended their season 12-19 overall, according to VCU Athletics.
The transfer of their lead scorer, guard Sarah Te-Biasu, played a toll on the Rams. She ended the 2023-2024 season averaging 16 points and was named Atlantic-10 Player of the Year, according to VCU Athletics.
The Rams struggled offensively shooting 39% from the field and 33% from the three-point line this season, according to VCU Athletics.
Despite not having the best season, Asare said her team faced a lot of adversity and is proud of her teammates for pushing through.
“There’s so many times we could have just quit and gave up,” Asare said. “There were so many games we were so close.”
Six out of their 19 losses were by three points or less, according to VCU Athletics.
With the season coming to a close, five seniors are graduating: Parham, Ezeh, fourth-year guard Natalia Tondi, fourth-year guard Valentina Ojeda and redshirt third-year guard Adebukola Akomolafe.
O’Boyle said she takes pride in the leadership from the seniors and the love her players have for each other.
“One thing we take pride in is the culture of our program, and I think you know that really shows up in the times of adversity,” O’Boyle said.
