Benney Koch, Staff Writer
VCU women’s basketball opened the 2026-27 season with a 67-43 win over Central Connecticut State University tonight at the Siegel Center, starting new head coach Chelsea Banbury’s tenure off with a victory.
The Rams enter this season looking to turn things around after a difficult 2025-26 campaign, where they finished 8-23 overall and 4-14 in Atlantic 10 conference play. Head Coach Banbury joins VCU after seven seasons as High Point University head coach, where she had a 140-79 career record, won four Big South regular-season championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
VCU also welcomed several new faces to its roster, including fifth-year guard Macy Spencer and fourth-year guard Lexi Flemming who transferred from High Point, alongside four first-year players. Spencer, who was named to the A-10 Preseason Second Team, led the Rams with 22 points in her VCU debut.
VCU’s defense forced six turnovers in the first quarter. Third-year guard Cyriah Griffin provided an early spark off the bench, getting to the free-throw line before creating a steal and converting an easy layup on the other end. The Rams continued to capitalize on their defensive pressure, building a 30-22 lead by halftime.
Griffin finished as VCU’s second leading scorer with 15 points. First-year forward Nicole Torresani also made an immediate impact, recording five steals in her collegiate debut.
The Rams continued to hold their lead through the third quarter, entering the final period ahead 46-38. VCU used its success in creating offensive pressure to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line, which made it difficult for Central Connecticut to build momentum toward a comeback.
Fourth-year forward Ann Zachariah also had a standout performance, recording a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Her production was particularly encouraging for Banbury, who credited Zachariah’s improvement in defensive rebounding and her growing comfort within the team’s system.
“I think she’s really stepped up her game on especially defensive rebounding,” Banbury said. “She’s gotten much better at that.”
Despite the win, Banbury acknowledged that the team still has work to do, particularly with its offensive execution and ball movement. VCU finished with 24 turnovers, an area the Rams will need to address as the competition gets tougher.
“This is step one,” Banbury said. “This is the start of our foundation. Our goal is going to be to get better every single day.”
VCU’s defensive effort ultimately helped separate the Rams from the Blue Devils, as they finished with 24 fast-break points compared to Central Connecticut’s two and scored 27 points off of turnovers.
The Rams begin the season 1-0 and will return to the Siegel Center next week on Nov. 12 to face Virginia Tech.