Drew Thompson, Sports Editor
Women’s basketball vs. the University of Rhode Island
VCU came up short against Rhode Island 41-46. First-year forward Patricia Augustin was out for the game with a knee injury, and the team announced she would miss the rest of the season, according to VCU Athletics. VCU went into halftime down big, but attempted a late push in the third quarter. Second-year guard Cyriah Griffin led the push with a 10-0 run to bring the game close, but Rhode Island stayed ahead for the victory. VCU dropped to 6-12 on the year and 2-4 in the Atlantic 10.
Men’s basketball at Rhode Island
VCU grabbed a much-needed away win over Rhode Island following a two-game losing streak. VCU shot an improved 49% from the field and 41% from three to grab the nine point win. The bench unit played a large part in the victory. Second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. scored a game-high 19 points, second-year guard Ahmad Nowell scored 14 and third-year forward Michael Belle had 10, all off the bench. Rhode Island tied the game at 51 in the second half, but a good recovery from VCU helped secure the 84-75 win.
Men’s tennis vs. Georgetown University
The Rams opened up their season with a 6-1 win over the visiting Hoyas. VCU opened up with two doubles wins and an unfinished third match. The Rams carried that momentum into the singles, winning five matches with relative ease. Georgetown took one singles match but VCU had already secured its victory by that time. Second-years Leon Zaorski and Mats Bredschneijder both made their mark in singles. Bredschneijder and second-year Erwann Bouchet also dominated the doubles matches in the comfortable victory.
Women’s tennis vs. Northwestern University
VCU fared worse with a 0-7 loss to Northwestern to open the season. Northwestern dominated the singles sets, only having two matches go to three sets. The Rams put up more fight in doubles, winning one match, but still ultimately came up short. Third-years Mariam Ibrahim and Tania Isabel Andrade Sabando accounted for the sole loss of the day for the Rams. The duo took down the No. 48 doubles pair in the nation to carry on some momentum into their next matchup.
Women’s basketball at the University of Richmond
The Rams struggled in the cross-town matchup with a 47-77 loss to the Spiders. The Spiders started the game with a 17-2 run and the Rams never fully recovered from there. Richmond outscored VCU 32-9 in the first quarter, which ended the game nearly before it began. VCU picked up its pace following the first, but a comeback was completely out of reach. Richmond dominated from the field, shooting 48% compared to VCU’s 33%. Griffin led the way for the Rams in scoring with 15 points as she has taken an increased role in the offense following season-ending injuries to fourth-year guard Mary-Anna Asare and Augustin.
Men’s tennis vs. the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
VCU lost a tight 3-4 match against Charlotte at home. The teams stood tied after each winning three matches in singles, but Charlotte’s proficiency in doubles secured it the one point win. Bredschneijder carried over his momentum from the earlier win against Georgetown, winning a close singles match and helping secure VCU’s only doubles win. First-year Patrik Petera showed determination after a first set loss in singles, winning two straight sets to tie the teams up in singles.
Women’s tennis vs. Temple University
The Rams bounced back to confidently beat the Owls 4-0. VCU won every match in dominant fashion, with the most points given up in finished matches being two. Ibrahim and Andrade Sabando performed well in their doubles matches again, setting the tone for the rest of the Rams during the matchup.
Men’s basketball vs. Saint Joseph’s University
VCU displayed heart in a close 79-72 victory over St. Joe’s. The Rams went into halftime with the lead, but trailed by seven points in the second half. An all-around performance from Belle along with contributions from Hill Jr. and second-year guard Brandon Jennings helped surge VCU past St. Joe’s late. Belle had a career-night, scoring a career-high 20 points, grabbing a career-high three steals, matching a career-high with two blocks and also grabbing five rebounds. Jennings scored 18 points and Hill Jr. scored 13 and had a career-high eight assists.