(Click on the links for game summaries, box scores and highlights....)
Monday:
Saint Joseph's 61, Cal St. Northridge 54 (Hawk Classic)
Miami (OH) 59, Davidson 58 (UVA Holiday Classic, Charlottesville)
Fordham 63, Savannah State 53 (Fordham Holiday Classic)
Tuesday:
La Salle 65, UMBC 62
Princeton 73, Fordham 57 (Fordham Holiday Classic)
VCU 60, North Carolina A&T 51
Dartmouth 54, Rhode Island 44
Richmond 71, UAB 65 (OT)
Saint Louis 73, Ball State 68 (OT)
Wednesday:
Dayton 98, Central Michigan 89
George Washington 82, Towson 48
This completes the regular non-conference schedule portion of the season. With a rare exception, Atlantic 10 teams tip off against each other for the next two months, as the Road To Richmond begins its toughest, and most important phase.
RVA Sports Network Coverage of Women's Basketball, Part of Our Year Of Women's Sports Initiative!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
SUNDAY GAMES....
La Salle 73, Fairfield 59
Duquesne 82, Lehigh 75
George Washington 72, Loyola 49
Towson 72, George Mason 70
Quinnipiac 69, Saint Joseph's 67
Richmond 59, William & Mary 56
Dayton 72, #24 Green Bay 66
UMass 78, Boston University 57
Saint Louis 63, Eastern Illinois 49
Davidson 67, Virginia 57
VCU 63, Coppin State 52
Duquesne 82, Lehigh 75
George Washington 72, Loyola 49
Towson 72, George Mason 70
Quinnipiac 69, Saint Joseph's 67
Richmond 59, William & Mary 56
Dayton 72, #24 Green Bay 66
UMass 78, Boston University 57
Saint Louis 63, Eastern Illinois 49
Davidson 67, Virginia 57
VCU 63, Coppin State 52
Friday, December 26, 2014
Atlantic 10 Teams: RPI....
Dayton and George Washington land in the Top 20 in the latest Collegiate Basketball News RPI Rankings.
The Flyers are #13, with the Colonials not far behind at #19.
For a look at every team, CLICK HERE.
The Flyers are #13, with the Colonials not far behind at #19.
For a look at every team, CLICK HERE.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Monday Results....
We get the final games in before Christmas on this Monday. Click the links for game recaps and box scores.
St. Bonaventure defeated Georgetown 70-64 in afternoon action. Congratulations to Katie Healy for scoring her 1,000th career point for the Bonnies!
George Mason built a big lead, then held off a Longwood surge and pulled away late for an 83-61 win. The Patriots are now 8-4. They finished 8-23 last season.
St. Bonaventure defeated Georgetown 70-64 in afternoon action. Congratulations to Katie Healy for scoring her 1,000th career point for the Bonnies!
George Mason built a big lead, then held off a Longwood surge and pulled away late for an 83-61 win. The Patriots are now 8-4. They finished 8-23 last season.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
WEEKEND GAMES....
FRIDAY:
George Mason 69, Winthrop 57 (in Wichita, KS)
Georgia State 71, UMass 66
N.C. State 82, Davidson 66
Austin Peay 86, Saint Louis 81 (in Missoula, MT)
SATURDAY:
St. Bonaventure 72, Niagra 60
George Mason 65, ULM 53 (in Wichita, KS)
Ohio 59, UMass 52 (in Atlanta, GA)
La Salle 76, Georgia State 68 (in Atlanta, GA)
Saint Louis 68, Utah Valley 66 (in Missoula, MT)
SUNDAY:
George Washington 70, St. Mary's 52
VCU 64, Texas-Pan American 43
Rhode Island 60, Bryant 55
Richmond 70, Eastern Kentucky 59
Providence 67, Duquesne 56
#5 Notre Dame 64, Saint Joseph's 50
Charlotte 86, Davidson 51
Dayton 71, Vanderbilt 67
George Mason 69, Winthrop 57 (in Wichita, KS)
Georgia State 71, UMass 66
N.C. State 82, Davidson 66
Austin Peay 86, Saint Louis 81 (in Missoula, MT)
SATURDAY:
St. Bonaventure 72, Niagra 60
George Mason 65, ULM 53 (in Wichita, KS)
Ohio 59, UMass 52 (in Atlanta, GA)
La Salle 76, Georgia State 68 (in Atlanta, GA)
Saint Louis 68, Utah Valley 66 (in Missoula, MT)
SUNDAY:
George Washington 70, St. Mary's 52
VCU 64, Texas-Pan American 43
Rhode Island 60, Bryant 55
Richmond 70, Eastern Kentucky 59
Providence 67, Duquesne 56
#5 Notre Dame 64, Saint Joseph's 50
Charlotte 86, Davidson 51
Dayton 71, Vanderbilt 67
Thursday, December 18, 2014
VCU Stays Unbeaten at Home on Education Day
With over one thousand Richmond-area schoolchildren, complete with homemade signs, cheering them on, Beth O'Boyle's VCU Rams stay undefeated at the Siegel Center, pulling away from High Point in the second half Thursday afternoon for an 81-59 victory.
The Rams (6-4) were led by Isis Thorpe, who had 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The sophomore's shooting prowess was needed on a day where VCU, other than Thorpe, shot just 14-of-54 from the floor.
"They kept daring me to shoot, so it was pretty easy," Thorpe explained after the game.
Where they took advantage was at the free throw line, converting 30 of 35 opportunities. The Panthers (6-4) only got fourteen shots at the line the entire game, converting only eight.
High Point forward Stacia Robertson scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and was, from the opening tip, the focal point of the Panthers offense. Robertson scored eight of their first nine points over the first four minutes of the game. After that, she was limited to six points.
"Robertson is a great back to the basket post player," head coach O'Boyle said. "In the women's game, you don't always get to see that. In the second half, we started to go get her. We really tried to take away her space."
With Robertson out of the scoring mix, High Point leaned on Latrice Phelps, who led High Point with 15 points, and Lindsay Puckett, who had 12. The Panthers came out strong in the second half, down 37-29, outscoring VCU 13-6 in the first four minutes.
But the Rams responded. With twelve minutes left, the game was at would be its last one-point margin at 47-46. Monnaz Finney-Smith drained a three, Melanie Royster followed with a pair of free throws. Another Finney-Smith jumper pulled the Rams out to a nine point lead at 62-53 with 6:52 to go.
After the Panthers made eight of their first twelve shots in the second half, they tired, making only two of their next thirteen. The Rams scored ten unanswered over the next 2:48 to lead 72-53 with four minutes to go.
Thorpe explained that philsophies and assignments offensively are different this year under O'Boyle.
"Last year, I just came off screens and shot the ball. This year, it's more about creating your play, so what was really hard for me to be consistent in was analyzing the floor, taking good shots. Having an IQ to feel the space was hard, because this is the first year learning how to just read rather than having a coach tell me where to go. It's exciting; I want to learn those things," Thorpe said.
VCU had four players in double figures as Finney-Smith had eleven, Adaeze Alaeze ten, and Meadowbrook product Ashley Pegram had twelve before a hard collision on a fastbreak with Robertson sent her to the floor, hitting her head in the process midway through the second half. She was carried off the court. There was no word on her condition postgame, but O'Boyle was confident the sophomore would bounce back quickly.
The Rams host Texas-Pan American on Sunday for a 1pm game at the Siegel Center, before breaking for Christmas. They'll travel to Coppin State on December 28th as the Atlantic 10 conference season schedule looms on the horizon.
The Rams (6-4) were led by Isis Thorpe, who had 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The sophomore's shooting prowess was needed on a day where VCU, other than Thorpe, shot just 14-of-54 from the floor.
"They kept daring me to shoot, so it was pretty easy," Thorpe explained after the game.
Where they took advantage was at the free throw line, converting 30 of 35 opportunities. The Panthers (6-4) only got fourteen shots at the line the entire game, converting only eight.
High Point forward Stacia Robertson scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and was, from the opening tip, the focal point of the Panthers offense. Robertson scored eight of their first nine points over the first four minutes of the game. After that, she was limited to six points.
"Robertson is a great back to the basket post player," head coach O'Boyle said. "In the women's game, you don't always get to see that. In the second half, we started to go get her. We really tried to take away her space."
With Robertson out of the scoring mix, High Point leaned on Latrice Phelps, who led High Point with 15 points, and Lindsay Puckett, who had 12. The Panthers came out strong in the second half, down 37-29, outscoring VCU 13-6 in the first four minutes.
But the Rams responded. With twelve minutes left, the game was at would be its last one-point margin at 47-46. Monnaz Finney-Smith drained a three, Melanie Royster followed with a pair of free throws. Another Finney-Smith jumper pulled the Rams out to a nine point lead at 62-53 with 6:52 to go.
After the Panthers made eight of their first twelve shots in the second half, they tired, making only two of their next thirteen. The Rams scored ten unanswered over the next 2:48 to lead 72-53 with four minutes to go.
Thorpe explained that philsophies and assignments offensively are different this year under O'Boyle.
"Last year, I just came off screens and shot the ball. This year, it's more about creating your play, so what was really hard for me to be consistent in was analyzing the floor, taking good shots. Having an IQ to feel the space was hard, because this is the first year learning how to just read rather than having a coach tell me where to go. It's exciting; I want to learn those things," Thorpe said.
VCU had four players in double figures as Finney-Smith had eleven, Adaeze Alaeze ten, and Meadowbrook product Ashley Pegram had twelve before a hard collision on a fastbreak with Robertson sent her to the floor, hitting her head in the process midway through the second half. She was carried off the court. There was no word on her condition postgame, but O'Boyle was confident the sophomore would bounce back quickly.
The Rams host Texas-Pan American on Sunday for a 1pm game at the Siegel Center, before breaking for Christmas. They'll travel to Coppin State on December 28th as the Atlantic 10 conference season schedule looms on the horizon.
LIVE COVERAGE: VCU vs. High Point
Students from around the 804 are at the Siegel Center, which will provide an exciting, and loud, home court advantage, as the VCU Rams look for their sixth win of the season against High Point, who, at 6-3, already has two Big South Conference wins, an overtime victory over William & Mary and a four-point loss to North Carolina State of the ACC.
FINAL: VCU 81, High Point 59 (Rams move to 6-4, shooting 30-of-35 from the free throw line. Isis Thorpe leads with 22 points, 7 rebounds.)
Later tonight, Duquesne is home to St. Francis (PA) at 7pm.
FINAL: VCU 81, High Point 59 (Rams move to 6-4, shooting 30-of-35 from the free throw line. Isis Thorpe leads with 22 points, 7 rebounds.)
Later tonight, Duquesne is home to St. Francis (PA) at 7pm.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Twas The Week Before Christmas...
...and Atlantic 10 teams look for momentum as the conference schedule looms in less than 20 days...
MONDAY FINALS:
George Washington 63, Memphis 44 (GW now with best overall record in A-10)
Buffalo 51, St. Bonaventure 44
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:
Richmond 77, UNC-Wilmington 67
St. Bonaventure 78, UNC-Greensboro 60
MONDAY FINALS:
George Washington 63, Memphis 44 (GW now with best overall record in A-10)
Buffalo 51, St. Bonaventure 44
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE:
Richmond 77, UNC-Wilmington 67
St. Bonaventure 78, UNC-Greensboro 60
Friday, December 12, 2014
THE WEEKEND SCHEDULE....
Nine games were played this past weekend as the non-conference portion of Atlantic 10 team schedules begins to wind down; just three weeks away from the start of league play!
SATURDAY:
Dayton 86, Central Michigan 76
Winthrop 75, Davidson 60
SUNDAY:
VCU 80, UNC-Greensboro 73
Duquesne 71, Robert Morris 57
Fordham 70, Manhattan 41
UMass 72, Holy Cross 61
Richmond 79, Wake Forest 72
Indiana State 68, Saint Louis 58
Villanova 70, La Salle 36
SATURDAY:
Dayton 86, Central Michigan 76
Winthrop 75, Davidson 60
SUNDAY:
VCU 80, UNC-Greensboro 73
Duquesne 71, Robert Morris 57
Fordham 70, Manhattan 41
UMass 72, Holy Cross 61
Richmond 79, Wake Forest 72
Indiana State 68, Saint Louis 58
Villanova 70, La Salle 36
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Early Week Action...
MONDAY FINAL:
Missouri 74, Saint Louis 55
TUESDAY:
Penn 65, Saint Joseph's 51
Rhode Island 56, Boston University 48
Fordham 72, Central Connecticut State 36
George Washington 72, Georgetown 60*
(*--Cosby graduate, freshman Dorothy Adomako, had six points and three rebounds for Georgetown).
WEDNESDAY:
Dayton 79, Toledo 57
West Virginia 79, Duquesne 60
Missouri 74, Saint Louis 55
TUESDAY:
Penn 65, Saint Joseph's 51
Rhode Island 56, Boston University 48
Fordham 72, Central Connecticut State 36
George Washington 72, Georgetown 60*
(*--Cosby graduate, freshman Dorothy Adomako, had six points and three rebounds for Georgetown).
WEDNESDAY:
Dayton 79, Toledo 57
West Virginia 79, Duquesne 60
Friday, December 5, 2014
WEEKEND GAMES AND FINALS....
A big weekend for the conference, winning 13 of 17 games including four against teams from the ACC, Big Ten and Big East! Click the links for game summaries.
Friday:
Old Dominion 66, VCU 44
Seton Hall 56, Fordham 43
Saturday:
UMass 71, American 61
Rhode Island 58, Central Connecticut State 46
La Salle 78, William & Mary 71
St. Bonaventure 43, Drexel 32 (Brown University Classic)
George Washington 73, Fresno State 64
George Mason 86, Saint Francis (PA) 77
Hampton 64, Richmond 53
Saint Louis 68, Missouri-St. Louis 49
Sunday:
Fordham 71, Temple 64
James Madison 73, Davidson 57
Duquesne 87, Pittsburgh 77
Dayton 63, Purdue 61
Rhode Island 63, Providence 56
Saint Joseph's 58, Villanova 54
St. Bonaventure 58, Brown 56 (Brown University Classic)
Friday:
Old Dominion 66, VCU 44
Seton Hall 56, Fordham 43
Saturday:
UMass 71, American 61
Rhode Island 58, Central Connecticut State 46
La Salle 78, William & Mary 71
St. Bonaventure 43, Drexel 32 (Brown University Classic)
George Washington 73, Fresno State 64
George Mason 86, Saint Francis (PA) 77
Hampton 64, Richmond 53
Saint Louis 68, Missouri-St. Louis 49
Sunday:
Fordham 71, Temple 64
James Madison 73, Davidson 57
Duquesne 87, Pittsburgh 77
Dayton 63, Purdue 61
Rhode Island 63, Providence 56
Saint Joseph's 58, Villanova 54
St. Bonaventure 58, Brown 56 (Brown University Classic)
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Wednesday Schedule & Results
Game synopsis links are available by clicking on the team name!
Duquesne 86, Kent State 60
Saint Louis 63, Tulsa 58
ETSU 84, George Mason 71
Rhode Island 65, Brown 61
Dayton 79, Wright State 76
Harvard 75, UMass 62
La Salle 75, Robert Morris 61
James Madison 79, Richmond 68
Duquesne 86, Kent State 60
Saint Louis 63, Tulsa 58
ETSU 84, George Mason 71
Rhode Island 65, Brown 61
Dayton 79, Wright State 76
Harvard 75, UMass 62
La Salle 75, Robert Morris 61
James Madison 79, Richmond 68
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
TUESDAY SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
Here's the trifecta of games for Tuesday, each with synopses of the action by clicking on the school name!
St. Bonaventure 65, Colgate 49
North Carolina A&T 62, Davidson 57
VCU 59, UNC-Wilmington 53
St. Bonaventure 65, Colgate 49
North Carolina A&T 62, Davidson 57
VCU 59, UNC-Wilmington 53
Monday, December 1, 2014
Jones Named A-10 Player Of The Week After Emotional Week Back Home
What a week to be Jonquel Jones!
Capping off her MVP performance at the Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas, her hometown, the George Washington junior forward has been named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for her efforts.
See it all HERE! (Photo courtesy of BahamasWeekly.com)
Capping off her MVP performance at the Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas, her hometown, the George Washington junior forward has been named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for her efforts.
See it all HERE! (Photo courtesy of BahamasWeekly.com)
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Holiday Week FINALS:
Wednesday:
Dayton 72, Providence 56
William & Mary 56, VCU 48
Thursday:
Central Michigan 61, Richmond 56
Friday:
Fordham 74, Incarnate Word 42
George Washington 74, N.C. State 66
La Salle 71, LIU Brooklyn 66
Mercer 80, Saint Louis 75 (2 OT)
Abilene Christian 88, George Mason 86 (UMKC Plaza Lights Classic, Kansas City)
Rhode Island 60, Towson 49
Saturday:
Saint Joseph's 64, St. Francis (NY) 42
Duquesne 90, Jackson State 72 (Ball State Thanksgiving Classic)
Rhode Island 66, LIU Brooklyn 49
George Mason 71, Mississippi Valley State 62 (UMKC Plaza Lights Classic, Kansas City)
George Washington 79, Purdue 59 (Junkanoo Jam Championship, Bahamas)
Arkansas 74, Richmond 55
La Salle 62, Towson 49
Sunday:
St. Bonaventure 72, Binghamton 54
#21 Rutgers 100, Davidson 44
UMass 67, Central Florida 62
Duquesne 82, Ball State 62 (Ball State Thanksgiving Classic Championship)
Seton Hall 77, Saint Joseph's 60
Drake 62, Fordham 56 (UTSA Thanksgiving Classic)
Dayton 72, Providence 56
William & Mary 56, VCU 48
Thursday:
Central Michigan 61, Richmond 56
Friday:
Fordham 74, Incarnate Word 42
George Washington 74, N.C. State 66
La Salle 71, LIU Brooklyn 66
Mercer 80, Saint Louis 75 (2 OT)
Abilene Christian 88, George Mason 86 (UMKC Plaza Lights Classic, Kansas City)
Rhode Island 60, Towson 49
Saturday:
Saint Joseph's 64, St. Francis (NY) 42
Duquesne 90, Jackson State 72 (Ball State Thanksgiving Classic)
Rhode Island 66, LIU Brooklyn 49
George Mason 71, Mississippi Valley State 62 (UMKC Plaza Lights Classic, Kansas City)
George Washington 79, Purdue 59 (Junkanoo Jam Championship, Bahamas)
Arkansas 74, Richmond 55
La Salle 62, Towson 49
Sunday:
St. Bonaventure 72, Binghamton 54
#21 Rutgers 100, Davidson 44
UMass 67, Central Florida 62
Duquesne 82, Ball State 62 (Ball State Thanksgiving Classic Championship)
Seton Hall 77, Saint Joseph's 60
Drake 62, Fordham 56 (UTSA Thanksgiving Classic)
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Holiday Schedule of Games....
Monday, November 24, 2014
Monday AND Tuesday Finals!
MONDAY SCORES:
George Washington 89, Grambling State 51
Vanderbilt 75, Saint Louis 57 (For Coach Lisa Stone's postgame interview, click HERE)
Columbia 79, Rhode Island 69 (OT)
TUESDAY'S SCORES:
La Salle 61, Manhattan 48
St. Bonaventure 56, Penn State 54
Navy 84, George Mason 79
Davidson 76, High Point 47
Fordham 49, Delaware 44
Duquesne 89, Howard 63
Drexel 76, Saint Joseph's 63
George Washington 89, Grambling State 51
Vanderbilt 75, Saint Louis 57 (For Coach Lisa Stone's postgame interview, click HERE)
Columbia 79, Rhode Island 69 (OT)
TUESDAY'S SCORES:
La Salle 61, Manhattan 48
St. Bonaventure 56, Penn State 54
Navy 84, George Mason 79
Davidson 76, High Point 47
Fordham 49, Delaware 44
Duquesne 89, Howard 63
Drexel 76, Saint Joseph's 63
Saturday, November 22, 2014
WEEKEND FINALS....
We'll update this post as games go final....
SATURDAY:
St. Bonaventure 68, Detroit 56
Liberty 76, Saint Joseph's 75
Green Bay 84, Duquesne 52
Iowa 90, Dayton 83 (Hawkeye Challenge Tournament Championship)
#8 Maryland 75, George Washington 65
La Salle 65, Howard 64
SUNDAY:
Florida State 73, UMass 47 (North Texas Tournament)
George Mason 71, College of Charleston 61
Davidson 67, Mount St. Mary's 62
Ohio State 96, VCU 86
SATURDAY:
St. Bonaventure 68, Detroit 56
Liberty 76, Saint Joseph's 75
Green Bay 84, Duquesne 52
Iowa 90, Dayton 83 (Hawkeye Challenge Tournament Championship)
#8 Maryland 75, George Washington 65
La Salle 65, Howard 64
SUNDAY:
Florida State 73, UMass 47 (North Texas Tournament)
George Mason 71, College of Charleston 61
Davidson 67, Mount St. Mary's 62
Ohio State 96, VCU 86
FRIDAY FINALS....
The conference goes 4-0 to start the weekend!
Dayton 78, Tennessee-Martin 47
Fordham 60, Hofstra 42
Saint Louis 74, Southeast Missouri State 56
UMass 56, North Texas 46
Updated non-conference records on the right of the page! We'll have weekend scores as they become available!
Dayton 78, Tennessee-Martin 47
Fordham 60, Hofstra 42
Saint Louis 74, Southeast Missouri State 56
UMass 56, North Texas 46
Updated non-conference records on the right of the page! We'll have weekend scores as they become available!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Midweek Action: Wednesday, Thursday Games....
Atlantic 10 teams go 5-1 and give a Top 25 team a scare on Wednesday night. Plus Coach Daynia La-Force picks up her first win at Rhode Island and La Salle wins a "Big Five" showdown! Here are the results:
#23 Syracuse 90, Duquesne 84
UMass 68, Maine 60
George Mason 110, Delaware State 91
Rhode Island 75, UMass Lowell 66
George Washington 88, Bowie State 45
La Salle 57, Penn 29
THURSDAY:
VCU at Maryland Eastern Shore, 6pm
Davidson at Gardner-Webb, 7pm
Longwood at Richmond, 7pm
St. Bonaventure at Toledo, 7pm
#23 Syracuse 90, Duquesne 84
UMass 68, Maine 60
George Mason 110, Delaware State 91
Rhode Island 75, UMass Lowell 66
George Washington 88, Bowie State 45
La Salle 57, Penn 29
THURSDAY:
VCU at Maryland Eastern Shore, 6pm
Davidson at Gardner-Webb, 7pm
Longwood at Richmond, 7pm
St. Bonaventure at Toledo, 7pm
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
TUESDAY FINALS...
In a matinee in Lynchburg, VCU fell for the first time this season at the hands of the Liberty Flames, 69-53. Camille Calhoun led the Rams, now 2-1, with 17 points.
In a "Big Five" battle in Philly in their home opener, Saint Joseph's missed a chance to win in regulation, but made up for it with tough play in the final minute of overtime to knock off rival Temple 78-74. Ciara Andrews and Kathleen Fitzpatrick each scored 14 points for the Hawks (1-1).
Defending tournament champion Fordham notched their first win of the season, 61-37 at home over Mount St. Mary's. The Rams (1-2) next host Hofstra of the CAA on Friday night.
Updated non-conference standings are to the right of the page.
In a "Big Five" battle in Philly in their home opener, Saint Joseph's missed a chance to win in regulation, but made up for it with tough play in the final minute of overtime to knock off rival Temple 78-74. Ciara Andrews and Kathleen Fitzpatrick each scored 14 points for the Hawks (1-1).
Defending tournament champion Fordham notched their first win of the season, 61-37 at home over Mount St. Mary's. The Rams (1-2) next host Hofstra of the CAA on Friday night.
Updated non-conference standings are to the right of the page.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Weekend Results: VCU, Richmond Lone Unbeatens....
SATURDAY:
East Carolina 66, Rhode Island 38
SUNDAY:
Richmond 65, Georgetown 57 (Spiders improve to 2-0)
VCU 55, Presbyterian 36 (Rams improve to 2-0)
Princeton 79, Duquesne 62
Syracuse 59, Fordham 42
James Madison 76, St. Bonaventure 43
Gonzaga 75, Dayton 65
Morehead State 79, George Mason 70
Central Michigan 72, UMass 70
East Carolina 66, Rhode Island 38
SUNDAY:
Richmond 65, Georgetown 57 (Spiders improve to 2-0)
VCU 55, Presbyterian 36 (Rams improve to 2-0)
Princeton 79, Duquesne 62
Syracuse 59, Fordham 42
James Madison 76, St. Bonaventure 43
Gonzaga 75, Dayton 65
Morehead State 79, George Mason 70
Central Michigan 72, UMass 70
Friday, November 14, 2014
OPENING NIGHT FINALS:
On an emotional afternoon at the Robins Center, Richmond women's basketball honored the memories of Associate Head Coach Ginny Doyle and Director of Basketball Operations Natalie Lewis, lost in a May hot-air balloon accident, with ceremonies, and with victory.
Liz Brown scored 17 points as the Spiders (1-0) knocked off Providence from the Big East 76-59 in their season opener.
VCU got their first victory for new head coach Beth O'Boyle, 84-75 over Wagner Friday at the Siegel Center. Camille Calhoun had 21 points and 16 rebounds for the 1-0 Rams, who host Presbyterian Sunday afternoon.
George Mason, meanwhile, knocked off Virginia Tech 77-69 at the Patriot Center to move to 1-0. Taylor Brown scored a career-high 35 points as the Patriots beat the Hokies for the first time in 25 years.
OTHER FINALS:
Marshall 61, Rhode Island 45
Iona 72, Fordham 51
Temple 75, La Salle 72
Furman 67, Davidson 60
Florida Gulf Coast 88, George Washington 75
St. Bonaventure 62, Canisius 46
Western Michigan 61, UMass 43
Washington State 76, Dayton 60
Indiana State 63, Saint Louis 60
Rutgers 76, Saint Joseph's 52
Liz Brown scored 17 points as the Spiders (1-0) knocked off Providence from the Big East 76-59 in their season opener.
VCU got their first victory for new head coach Beth O'Boyle, 84-75 over Wagner Friday at the Siegel Center. Camille Calhoun had 21 points and 16 rebounds for the 1-0 Rams, who host Presbyterian Sunday afternoon.
George Mason, meanwhile, knocked off Virginia Tech 77-69 at the Patriot Center to move to 1-0. Taylor Brown scored a career-high 35 points as the Patriots beat the Hokies for the first time in 25 years.
OTHER FINALS:
Marshall 61, Rhode Island 45
Iona 72, Fordham 51
Temple 75, La Salle 72
Furman 67, Davidson 60
Florida Gulf Coast 88, George Washington 75
St. Bonaventure 62, Canisius 46
Western Michigan 61, UMass 43
Washington State 76, Dayton 60
Indiana State 63, Saint Louis 60
Rutgers 76, Saint Joseph's 52
OPENING DAY SCHEDULE!
It's FINALLY time to play for real! The Road To RVA hits a big milestone today as the following games will be played (all times eastern):
Iona at Fordham, 11:30AM
Providence at Richmond, 4PM
La Salle at Temple, 4:30PM
Virginia Tech at George Mason, 5PM
Davidson at Furman, 6PM
George Washington at Florida Gulf Coast, 7PM
Wagner at VCU, 7PM
Canisius at St. Bonaventure, 7PM
Saint Joseph's at Rutgers, 7PM
Saint Louis at Indiana State, 7:05PM
UMass at Western Michigan, 8:30PM
Dayton at Washington State, 10PM
NOTE: In the lone Saturday game, Rhode Island plays its first game for new head coach Daynia La-Force when they welcome East Carolina for a game at 3pm.
Score updates will be posted for all Atlantic 10 women's teams all season long on Twitter at @TheRVASportsNet as the Road To RVA is fully underway!
Iona at Fordham, 11:30AM
Providence at Richmond, 4PM
La Salle at Temple, 4:30PM
Virginia Tech at George Mason, 5PM
Davidson at Furman, 6PM
George Washington at Florida Gulf Coast, 7PM
Wagner at VCU, 7PM
Canisius at St. Bonaventure, 7PM
Saint Joseph's at Rutgers, 7PM
Saint Louis at Indiana State, 7:05PM
UMass at Western Michigan, 8:30PM
Dayton at Washington State, 10PM
NOTE: In the lone Saturday game, Rhode Island plays its first game for new head coach Daynia La-Force when they welcome East Carolina for a game at 3pm.
Score updates will be posted for all Atlantic 10 women's teams all season long on Twitter at @TheRVASportsNet as the Road To RVA is fully underway!
Monday, November 10, 2014
"14 in 14" Preview #5: Richmond Spiders
No one can understand the unique atmosphere and circumstances that face the players, coaches, and staff at the University of Richmond as the new season dawns.
There will be a hole that exists with the team no matter what, as they continue, both individually and collectively, continue to mourn, and get used to, the loss of associate head coach Ginny Doyle and director of basketball operations Natalie Lewis in a tragic hot air balloon accident near Doswell on May 9th. With this most difficult burden to bear, the team will hope to take solace and refuge by getting to work, and resolving to make this the most successful season Richmond can possibly have.
TEAM: Richmond Spiders
HEAD COACH: Michael Shaffer (10th season, William & Mary '94)
2013-14 RECORD: 14-16 (8-8 in A-10)
RETURNING STARTERS:
--Genevieve Okoro (6' redshirt senior forward): 11.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg
--Keri Soppe (5' 9" senior guard): 5.5 ppg, 86% FT percentage
--Olivia Healy (5' 11" sophomore guard): 12.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
--Janelle Hubbard (5' 8" sophomore guard): 11.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
RVA Sports Network spoke with Coach Shaffer about this most difficult of offseasons and how the Spiders hope to respond.
1) How have you been able to find balance between the healing process and coaching responsibilites so that you can translate that balance to your players?
Shaffer: "I think the biggest thing, and I've urged our team to do this as well, is to dig deeper within ourselves. To really look inside yourself and start to deal with some emotions, deal with some feelings that I don't think people normally do, particularly in this generation, where we are culturally, and in society right now. Everything's instant, and on the surface. Our "friends" are on Facebook and not in real life, so I've urged them to allow themselves to dig, and to go deeper, and that's what I've done. What it's allowed me to do, is to be a little more compassionate, a little bit more understanding of the process as opposed to the end result. I focus more on the process and I've urged our team to do that. I think they're doing a really good job of that.
But there's days. There's days for me, there's days for the players, there's days for the staff. We're nowhere close to out of the woods, but it does feel really good to be together and be on the floor."
2) Let's talk about the players: how is Olivia returning from her injury, how is the team itself doing?
Shaffer: "I think the players are doing great. We've got five newcomers, and I think that's a positive. Now I don't know if it's a positive situation when it comes to winning games, but it's a positive thing in terms of healing, not that they weren't involved, they were recruited by Ginny and things like that, but they bring a new energy and a new life, and that's one-third of your team.
As for Liv, she's still in rehab mode. She's in practice, not in contact, but anticipate that she will be. Having her back will change our dynamics a little bit. We're different than we've been in the past. We're bigger, we have more strength, and we're actually faster, so we can put a few different combinations out there that I don't think people have seen from us in the past.
3) Does having these new abilites and traits make you have to change what you do as a coach philosophically based on what you have?
Shaffer: "What it does is, I like the way we play, I like the way we cut and move, and with the new rules and with freedom of movement being an emphasis, that's kind of where we've been. At the same time, as the season wears on, that freedom of movement kind of gets lost a little bit, and you'll need to have some strength and size, and bulk inside, so we recruited for that reason to get that. At the same time, if there's incidental contact, you still have to be able to play through it. These kids will be able to do that."
OUTLOOK: When Shaffer was asked what a "successful season" for his squad would be in the midst of all that has happened over the last six months, he quickly responded, "Winning The A-10". He also added he doesn't see a middle ground here, either they will win or, in his words, "fall on our face".
That may be tough for Spiders fans to read, but his sincerity, and his realistic look on the unique make-up of physical, psychological and emotional issues that will either help make or break the Spiders is refreshing. Many coaches would hide it away, put it in a box until the off-season.
On the court, a healthy Olivia Healy does wonders for Richmond. She was in the hunt for Atlantic 10 Rookie of The Year until she was lost to a knee injury in late January. When she does return, she'll need to make increasing shooting percentage, both from the field and the free throw line, a top priority.
Janelle Hubbard needs to have a better season after a stellar freshman campaign, and someone needs to step up to join Okoro down low so teams don't laser-focus on Genevieve.
Richmond-area fans will be rooting for two freshman to see playing, as Glen Allen grad Alicia Hudalla, a 6' 1" forward and Monacan grad Micaela Parson, a 5' 7" guard join the Spiders.
The Spiders don't want mediocrity. They want a special season, for people who were very special to them. If they strike the right balance between playing with emotion and playing with efficiency, it can certainly happen.
There will be a hole that exists with the team no matter what, as they continue, both individually and collectively, continue to mourn, and get used to, the loss of associate head coach Ginny Doyle and director of basketball operations Natalie Lewis in a tragic hot air balloon accident near Doswell on May 9th. With this most difficult burden to bear, the team will hope to take solace and refuge by getting to work, and resolving to make this the most successful season Richmond can possibly have.
TEAM: Richmond Spiders
HEAD COACH: Michael Shaffer (10th season, William & Mary '94)
2013-14 RECORD: 14-16 (8-8 in A-10)
RETURNING STARTERS:
--Genevieve Okoro (6' redshirt senior forward): 11.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg
--Keri Soppe (5' 9" senior guard): 5.5 ppg, 86% FT percentage
--Olivia Healy (5' 11" sophomore guard): 12.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
--Janelle Hubbard (5' 8" sophomore guard): 11.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
RVA Sports Network spoke with Coach Shaffer about this most difficult of offseasons and how the Spiders hope to respond.
1) How have you been able to find balance between the healing process and coaching responsibilites so that you can translate that balance to your players?
Shaffer: "I think the biggest thing, and I've urged our team to do this as well, is to dig deeper within ourselves. To really look inside yourself and start to deal with some emotions, deal with some feelings that I don't think people normally do, particularly in this generation, where we are culturally, and in society right now. Everything's instant, and on the surface. Our "friends" are on Facebook and not in real life, so I've urged them to allow themselves to dig, and to go deeper, and that's what I've done. What it's allowed me to do, is to be a little more compassionate, a little bit more understanding of the process as opposed to the end result. I focus more on the process and I've urged our team to do that. I think they're doing a really good job of that.
But there's days. There's days for me, there's days for the players, there's days for the staff. We're nowhere close to out of the woods, but it does feel really good to be together and be on the floor."
2) Let's talk about the players: how is Olivia returning from her injury, how is the team itself doing?
Shaffer: "I think the players are doing great. We've got five newcomers, and I think that's a positive. Now I don't know if it's a positive situation when it comes to winning games, but it's a positive thing in terms of healing, not that they weren't involved, they were recruited by Ginny and things like that, but they bring a new energy and a new life, and that's one-third of your team.
As for Liv, she's still in rehab mode. She's in practice, not in contact, but anticipate that she will be. Having her back will change our dynamics a little bit. We're different than we've been in the past. We're bigger, we have more strength, and we're actually faster, so we can put a few different combinations out there that I don't think people have seen from us in the past.
3) Does having these new abilites and traits make you have to change what you do as a coach philosophically based on what you have?
Shaffer: "What it does is, I like the way we play, I like the way we cut and move, and with the new rules and with freedom of movement being an emphasis, that's kind of where we've been. At the same time, as the season wears on, that freedom of movement kind of gets lost a little bit, and you'll need to have some strength and size, and bulk inside, so we recruited for that reason to get that. At the same time, if there's incidental contact, you still have to be able to play through it. These kids will be able to do that."
OUTLOOK: When Shaffer was asked what a "successful season" for his squad would be in the midst of all that has happened over the last six months, he quickly responded, "Winning The A-10". He also added he doesn't see a middle ground here, either they will win or, in his words, "fall on our face".
That may be tough for Spiders fans to read, but his sincerity, and his realistic look on the unique make-up of physical, psychological and emotional issues that will either help make or break the Spiders is refreshing. Many coaches would hide it away, put it in a box until the off-season.
On the court, a healthy Olivia Healy does wonders for Richmond. She was in the hunt for Atlantic 10 Rookie of The Year until she was lost to a knee injury in late January. When she does return, she'll need to make increasing shooting percentage, both from the field and the free throw line, a top priority.
Janelle Hubbard needs to have a better season after a stellar freshman campaign, and someone needs to step up to join Okoro down low so teams don't laser-focus on Genevieve.
Richmond-area fans will be rooting for two freshman to see playing, as Glen Allen grad Alicia Hudalla, a 6' 1" forward and Monacan grad Micaela Parson, a 5' 7" guard join the Spiders.
The Spiders don't want mediocrity. They want a special season, for people who were very special to them. If they strike the right balance between playing with emotion and playing with efficiency, it can certainly happen.
"14 in 14" Preview #4: Saint Louis BIllikens
Just on the cusp of the nine-team race in the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10 standings last season were the Billikens of Saint Louis.
Finishing .500 at home in conference play (4-4) hurt, but veteran head coach Lisa Stone, starting her third season with the Billikens, enjoys a full returning starting lineup, on top of five exciting freshmen. Saint Louis is positioning themselves for a winning season in the A-10, and maybe more.
TEAM: Saint Louis Billikens
HEAD COACH: Lisa Stone (3rd season, University of Iowa '84)
2013-14 RECORD: 12-18 (7-9 in A-10)
RETURNING STARTERS:
--Erin Nelson (5' 10" sophomore forward): 14.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
--Desirae Ball (5' 9" redshirt senior guard): 12.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
--Denisha Womack (6' 1" junior forward): 10.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg
--Jamesia Price (5' 7" redshirt junior guard): 7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
--Olivia Jakubicek (5' 10" sophomore forward): 6.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg
RVA Sports Network spoke with Stone about the Billikens' hopes for 2014-15.
1) What are your expectations for the freshman this season?
Stone: "I'm really excited. It's the first ranked recruiting class Saint Louis has ever had for women's basketball. Jackie Kemph (5' 7" guard) and Jenny Vliet (6' 2" guard) are teammates from high school (Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights, IL) who played for two state championships their junior and senior year. Kemph was recruited by a number of major, major schools, chose Saint Louis with Vliet, a three-point shooter and great, great player. Both have tremendous instincts and should see significant time their freshman year.
Maddison Gits grew up in my hometown (Fitchburg, WI) and is actually best friends with my niece, so I've known her a long time. She has an unbelievable up side; she's got great size, was a tremendous volleyball player, great basketball player, averaging over 20 and 20 in high school. When she gets it, it's going to be special. Aaliyah Covington is a guard whose sister played for me at Wisconsin, so I know her family, their work ethic, and what they stand for. She's a tremendously gifted player, still working on the adjustments, but is going to give us some minutes hopefully, particularly by conference time. Then Shea Shipman, you've got to kick her out of the gym. A 6' 1" guard from Kansas City, in the gym, all the time. She'll need to pick up on defense. Overall, a nice freshman class."
2) Right now, though, does the world revolve around the likes of Ball, Nelson, and Sadie Stipanovich?
Stone: "It does. Right now, Desirae (Ball) is coming off a summer recovering from some knee clean-out at the end of last season, so she's got fifth-year senior knees, but is a player that when the lights go on, she'll be there. I trust her, I respect her, she's a leader. Nelson and Stipanovich are both from Saint Louis, so it's always great when your local players do well. Nelson was our leading scorer, Sadie was a part-time starter, and really wants to be in the mix this year, both have had good off-seasons, and they're just sophomores.
Denisha Womack is a player people kinda forget about. She had a 20 and 20 game against UMass at season's end, and is probably our most gifted player. She'll give us versatility and athleticism both in and out. And there's Jamesia Price, a three-ACL surgery girl. She's back, and is such a tough kid. You've got to be tough to blow your knee out three times, two on one, one of the other, and return. She's the one in there taking charges, grinding away, gives us an identity of toughness."
3) How do you make sure the Billikens reach the top half of the conference this year after knocking on the door last season?
Stone: "We went through a period last year when we lost a bunch of games in the middle of the season, then all of a sudden won eight of our last twelve. We got hot at the right time, but we didn't finish at the conference tournament the way we wanted to, so that stings. With young players, that's still fresh in their mind, because they want to win. Competitive practices have helped because everyone is battling for playing time. If we can take that same hunger and desire and put it on game day against a Saint Joe's, Saint Bonaventure, Fordham, Dayton, whatever, the floodgates could open. But it's a one-game-at-a-time deal. The coaches in this league are too good to know that you can't take a day off. The parity is at, I believe, an all-time high this year. It's time that A-10 women's basketball rises to the same notoriety as A-10 men's basketball."
OUTLOOK: Saint Joseph's and Saint Bonaventure can both attest to the talent at Saint Louis, as both lost to the Billikens late in the regular season. The five returning starters gave Saint Louis 50 points per contest last year. Add to them a year's experience, and an impressive crop of new players, and the Billikens, under the veteran leadership of Stone (527 career victories), could make their mark much, much higher than last year's tenth place finish.
They'll get battle tested on non-conference trips to Vanderbilt, Tulsa and Missouri, then open A-10 play on the road at George Mason January 4th, then to UMass January 7th. A road win or two early, then a victory over VCU in their home conference opener January 12th could propel them into the race. Late January presents a gauntlet, with home games with Fordham and Saint Joseph's before a trip to preseason favorite Dayton January 31st.
Finishing .500 at home in conference play (4-4) hurt, but veteran head coach Lisa Stone, starting her third season with the Billikens, enjoys a full returning starting lineup, on top of five exciting freshmen. Saint Louis is positioning themselves for a winning season in the A-10, and maybe more.
TEAM: Saint Louis Billikens
HEAD COACH: Lisa Stone (3rd season, University of Iowa '84)
2013-14 RECORD: 12-18 (7-9 in A-10)
RETURNING STARTERS:
--Erin Nelson (5' 10" sophomore forward): 14.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
--Desirae Ball (5' 9" redshirt senior guard): 12.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
--Denisha Womack (6' 1" junior forward): 10.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg
--Jamesia Price (5' 7" redshirt junior guard): 7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
--Olivia Jakubicek (5' 10" sophomore forward): 6.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg
RVA Sports Network spoke with Stone about the Billikens' hopes for 2014-15.
1) What are your expectations for the freshman this season?
Stone: "I'm really excited. It's the first ranked recruiting class Saint Louis has ever had for women's basketball. Jackie Kemph (5' 7" guard) and Jenny Vliet (6' 2" guard) are teammates from high school (Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights, IL) who played for two state championships their junior and senior year. Kemph was recruited by a number of major, major schools, chose Saint Louis with Vliet, a three-point shooter and great, great player. Both have tremendous instincts and should see significant time their freshman year.
Maddison Gits grew up in my hometown (Fitchburg, WI) and is actually best friends with my niece, so I've known her a long time. She has an unbelievable up side; she's got great size, was a tremendous volleyball player, great basketball player, averaging over 20 and 20 in high school. When she gets it, it's going to be special. Aaliyah Covington is a guard whose sister played for me at Wisconsin, so I know her family, their work ethic, and what they stand for. She's a tremendously gifted player, still working on the adjustments, but is going to give us some minutes hopefully, particularly by conference time. Then Shea Shipman, you've got to kick her out of the gym. A 6' 1" guard from Kansas City, in the gym, all the time. She'll need to pick up on defense. Overall, a nice freshman class."
2) Right now, though, does the world revolve around the likes of Ball, Nelson, and Sadie Stipanovich?
Stone: "It does. Right now, Desirae (Ball) is coming off a summer recovering from some knee clean-out at the end of last season, so she's got fifth-year senior knees, but is a player that when the lights go on, she'll be there. I trust her, I respect her, she's a leader. Nelson and Stipanovich are both from Saint Louis, so it's always great when your local players do well. Nelson was our leading scorer, Sadie was a part-time starter, and really wants to be in the mix this year, both have had good off-seasons, and they're just sophomores.
Denisha Womack is a player people kinda forget about. She had a 20 and 20 game against UMass at season's end, and is probably our most gifted player. She'll give us versatility and athleticism both in and out. And there's Jamesia Price, a three-ACL surgery girl. She's back, and is such a tough kid. You've got to be tough to blow your knee out three times, two on one, one of the other, and return. She's the one in there taking charges, grinding away, gives us an identity of toughness."
3) How do you make sure the Billikens reach the top half of the conference this year after knocking on the door last season?
Stone: "We went through a period last year when we lost a bunch of games in the middle of the season, then all of a sudden won eight of our last twelve. We got hot at the right time, but we didn't finish at the conference tournament the way we wanted to, so that stings. With young players, that's still fresh in their mind, because they want to win. Competitive practices have helped because everyone is battling for playing time. If we can take that same hunger and desire and put it on game day against a Saint Joe's, Saint Bonaventure, Fordham, Dayton, whatever, the floodgates could open. But it's a one-game-at-a-time deal. The coaches in this league are too good to know that you can't take a day off. The parity is at, I believe, an all-time high this year. It's time that A-10 women's basketball rises to the same notoriety as A-10 men's basketball."
OUTLOOK: Saint Joseph's and Saint Bonaventure can both attest to the talent at Saint Louis, as both lost to the Billikens late in the regular season. The five returning starters gave Saint Louis 50 points per contest last year. Add to them a year's experience, and an impressive crop of new players, and the Billikens, under the veteran leadership of Stone (527 career victories), could make their mark much, much higher than last year's tenth place finish.
They'll get battle tested on non-conference trips to Vanderbilt, Tulsa and Missouri, then open A-10 play on the road at George Mason January 4th, then to UMass January 7th. A road win or two early, then a victory over VCU in their home conference opener January 12th could propel them into the race. Late January presents a gauntlet, with home games with Fordham and Saint Joseph's before a trip to preseason favorite Dayton January 31st.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
"14 in 14" Preview #3: Rhode Island Rams
After a 7-23 campaign and only two victories in the Atlantic 10, the University of Rhode Island made a change at the top of their women's basketball program.
Daynia La-Force was named as the eighth head coach in program history, taking over a team with tons of experience. Five players started at least 16 games last year, and 84 percent of the team's offense production returns. Questions, though, still abound, namely, how can the returning crew mesh with the new coach, and make a run towards the upper echelon of the conference. The Rams haven't had a winning season in conference play in 19 years. The Rams are hungry.
Team: Rhode Island Rams
Head Coach: Daynia La-Force (1st season, Georgetown '95)
2013-14 Record: 7-23 (2-14 in A-10)
Returning Starters:
--Tayra Melendez (5' 11" junior guard): 13.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg
--Sam Tabakman (6' 3" junior forward): 9.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg
--Sydney Lewis (5' 11" senior guard): 6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg
--Kallie Banker (5 10" redshirt sophomore guard): 5.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.9 apg
RVA Sports Network spoke with La-Force about her new adventure, building the Rams program.
1) What drew you to Rhode Island?
La-Force: "You know, the opportunity to rebuild. It's always been part of my niche as a basketball coach. I've been with several programs where I've learned how to successfully rebuild a program, and I saw that opportunity at Rhode Island. Especially being in the A-10, a very competitive conference, and now an opportunity to start over and be part of something great."
2) What made you choose Rhode Island specifically as opposed to other rebuilding opportunities?
La-Force: "The people at Rhode Island. I had been affiliated with some people at Rhode Island for about three years and it's a great state. It's small, but a state filled with a lot of big thinkers and passionate people. Everyone I've met over the past few years who have been affiliated with the University of Rhode Island always talked of how proud they were of the athletics program and how much support that was there. I visited a couple of times and fell in love with the Ryan Center. So, to me, it was a no-brainer to go into a situation where there was so much support."
3) How do change the mindset of the team?
La-Force: "You have to inherit young ladies who want to win, young ladies who understand the commitment it takes, passionate about winning and changing the program. If I had to come into a situation where I'd have to struggle to change the culture, it would be a lot more difficult. But they've embraced something new; they want to win so badly. I've never been around a group of young women who want to win so badly. The will to win is already there. It's now about giving them the tools and the techniques to do it."
4) Who will be your floor generals, on and off the court?
La-Force: "Our captains: Megan Straumann, who is a senior. She hasn't had a lot of success at Rhode Island, and she wants to go out with a bang. (NOTE: Straumann was limited to 15 games due to injury in 2013-14.) She will do whatever it takes to make sure this is a successful year for her and her team. She wants to leave a legacy, part of the group that first started the placing of URI on the rise, and she shows it every single day with her effort in practice."
OUTLOOK: It's very hard to change a culture, especially one that seeks a winning record in their conference for the first time in almost two decades. La-Force will also look for contributions from her freshmen, 5' 11" guards Dominique Ward and Charise Wilson, and 6' 3" forward Tylor Raysor, who she calls "the future of URI women's basketball".
La-Force's biggest challenge is to find consistent scoring options, as only two returning players averaged nine points or higher last year. You need three good, consistent options in the A-10, with one or two more coming off the bench capable of giving a spark.
La-Force had success late in her tenure at Northeastern, named CAA Coach of the Year in 2012-13. This will take time. But if the Rhode Island supporters see some progress this year, even if it's not reflected in the overall record, they will reward with patience as the rebuilding process continues.
The Rams begin the season with back-to-back home games against Marshall and East Carolina November 14th and 15th and begin Atlantic 10 play at home to Duquesne on January 3rd.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
"14 in 14" Preview #2: UMass Minutewomen
It was a trying time in Amherst for head coach Sharon Dawley and UMass last season, as they won just one conference game, then fell in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament to George Mason. But they do return two important starters and bring in a half-dozen new players, plus new assistant coach Yolanda Griffith, a former WNBA Defensive Player of The Year and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, as the Minutewomen look to climb the ranks of the Atlantic 10.
Team: UMass Minutewomen
Head Coach: Sharon Dawley (5th season)
2013-14 Record: 4-27 (1-15 in A-10)
Returning Starters:
--Kim Pierre-Louis (6' senior forward): 14.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg
--Emily Mital (5' 8" senior guard): 8.4 ppg, 9th in 3-pt shooting percentage (36.6%)
1) What did you and your team learn about mentality and mindset through last season?
Dawley: "I think the most important thing you can do is have a mentality of "next play", "next series", "next game". We had some quality games last year, but we couldn't get past the "what if". If we had grabbed a couple (of wins) early, I think it would have catapulted us into a lot more wins, so I think everybody, head coach, players, coaches, it's "next play".
2) When trying to break through in the Atlantic 10, does that make the non-conference slate that much more important?
Dawley: "It's huge. Our non-conference is huge because that's the only way we'll be ready to battle in the A-10. You know, our conference is so strong, so mature, it's going to take a great non-conference, maybe not undefeated, but great battles, and learning "next play", and learning to stick together and learning that it will come. We need a great non-conference experience to get us to the A-10."
UMass finished at #127 in strength of schedule last year. The non-conference slate begins with a trip to Michigan to face both Western Michigan (November 14) and Central Michigan (November 16) before their home opener November 19th vs. Maine. A date with the ACC's Florida State looms on November 23rd, and the Minutewomen will usher in the holidays at the Georgia State Tournament December 19th and 20th, facing Georgia State and Ohio.
The Minutewomen will have twelve games before A-10 play begins January 3rd at St. Bonaventure.
3) Is there more that can be done to make opponents fear a trip to Amherst?
Dawley: "I think, as a program, we need to strengthen our resume, and then people will fear coming to Massachusetts. But until you have that resume, you're not feared. It doesn't matter where you are."
4) Who's handling the load this season?
Dawley: "We have a lot of leaders, both in the senior and junior class, probably five or six of them that we lean on for different things. As for production, right away, Kim Pierre-Louis. She's going to be very productive and we need her to be. Rashida Timbilla, a junior, (8.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg in 25 starts, 28 games), a phenomenal player, could play any position on the floor. We need her to step up, and she has to score for us. Points, from day one, we need Kim and Rashida to carry a lot of the burden, but leadership, that's spread around."
Dawley says she expects production from her incoming freshman, including the possibility of one to crack the starting lineup. She's hoping for an 8-9 player rotation. Dawley also says the non-conference season will be key to the maturation of redshirt junior point guard Amber Dillon, who Dawley hopes can be a consistent floor general for UMass this season.
OUTLOOK: Nothing will come easy in Amherst this year. The twelve games before league play will create a more battle-tested team, but Dawley will know much more about her team by January 18th, when she will have faced Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia, and rising star George Washington at home. There's plenty of reason to believe the Minutewomen will win more than just one conference game. But the reality is, every win will have to be well-earned, with excellent execution. UMass is in the bottom group with George Mason and Rhode Island trying to crack into the Top 10 in league standings. We'll see what happens.
Team: UMass Minutewomen
Head Coach: Sharon Dawley (5th season)
2013-14 Record: 4-27 (1-15 in A-10)
Returning Starters:
--Kim Pierre-Louis (6' senior forward): 14.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg
--Emily Mital (5' 8" senior guard): 8.4 ppg, 9th in 3-pt shooting percentage (36.6%)
1) What did you and your team learn about mentality and mindset through last season?
Dawley: "I think the most important thing you can do is have a mentality of "next play", "next series", "next game". We had some quality games last year, but we couldn't get past the "what if". If we had grabbed a couple (of wins) early, I think it would have catapulted us into a lot more wins, so I think everybody, head coach, players, coaches, it's "next play".
2) When trying to break through in the Atlantic 10, does that make the non-conference slate that much more important?
Dawley: "It's huge. Our non-conference is huge because that's the only way we'll be ready to battle in the A-10. You know, our conference is so strong, so mature, it's going to take a great non-conference, maybe not undefeated, but great battles, and learning "next play", and learning to stick together and learning that it will come. We need a great non-conference experience to get us to the A-10."
UMass finished at #127 in strength of schedule last year. The non-conference slate begins with a trip to Michigan to face both Western Michigan (November 14) and Central Michigan (November 16) before their home opener November 19th vs. Maine. A date with the ACC's Florida State looms on November 23rd, and the Minutewomen will usher in the holidays at the Georgia State Tournament December 19th and 20th, facing Georgia State and Ohio.
The Minutewomen will have twelve games before A-10 play begins January 3rd at St. Bonaventure.
3) Is there more that can be done to make opponents fear a trip to Amherst?
Dawley: "I think, as a program, we need to strengthen our resume, and then people will fear coming to Massachusetts. But until you have that resume, you're not feared. It doesn't matter where you are."
4) Who's handling the load this season?
Dawley: "We have a lot of leaders, both in the senior and junior class, probably five or six of them that we lean on for different things. As for production, right away, Kim Pierre-Louis. She's going to be very productive and we need her to be. Rashida Timbilla, a junior, (8.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg in 25 starts, 28 games), a phenomenal player, could play any position on the floor. We need her to step up, and she has to score for us. Points, from day one, we need Kim and Rashida to carry a lot of the burden, but leadership, that's spread around."
Dawley says she expects production from her incoming freshman, including the possibility of one to crack the starting lineup. She's hoping for an 8-9 player rotation. Dawley also says the non-conference season will be key to the maturation of redshirt junior point guard Amber Dillon, who Dawley hopes can be a consistent floor general for UMass this season.
OUTLOOK: Nothing will come easy in Amherst this year. The twelve games before league play will create a more battle-tested team, but Dawley will know much more about her team by January 18th, when she will have faced Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia, and rising star George Washington at home. There's plenty of reason to believe the Minutewomen will win more than just one conference game. But the reality is, every win will have to be well-earned, with excellent execution. UMass is in the bottom group with George Mason and Rhode Island trying to crack into the Top 10 in league standings. We'll see what happens.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
"14 in 14" Preview #1: Davidson, The Newest #A10 Member
Over the next two weeks, we'll be sharing portions of our conversations with Atlantic 10 women's basketball head coaches from their recent Media Day here in Richmond to get you ready for November 14th, the night 13 of 14 teams begin their new seasons.
First up, the newest member of the conference.
Team: Davidson Wildcats
Head Coach: Michele Savage (Northwestern '93, 5th season)
2013-14 Record: 16-16 (11-7 in Southern Conference)
Returning Starters:
--Dakota Dukes (6' junior forward): 14.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg
--Hannah Early (6' 1" senior forward): 13.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg
--Shannon Eriksson (5' 7" senior guard): 5.4 ppg, 78% FT pct.)
--Lillian McCabe (6' senior guard): 4.6 ppg,
1) What is Davidson Basketball?
Savage: "We've been a successful program for the past four years in the SoCon (Southern Conference), winning the league, going to the NIT, things of that sort. It's good, fundamental basketball, that's what we are. It's going to be exciting to watch us play."
2) Are you more of a defensive-oriented team?
Savage: "Absolutely not. We have got to improve on defense, bottom line. Last year, we scored about as many points a game as we gave up. When you do that, you get 16-16. We need to dedicate and refocus on the defensive end."
3) How do you prepare your team for the Atlantic 10? It's exciting, but does it leave any questions in the back of their minds?
Savage: "I would certainly think so. We started with them (on this process) last year in the spring when the pairings came out and had them watch the three schools (Dayton, St. Joseph's, Fordham) playing in the NCAA Tournament to say, hey, this is now our competition. They came back with very good, valid points on the differences, and a lot of it was strength. So we went to the weight room, working to build our strength and not worry about how we look in shorts. It's more for safety, and being able to hold our own on the floor, and they really bought into that."
Savage explained to RVA Sports Network another big change is transitioning from a "bus league" to a "plane league", and how traveling will be a totally new experience for her squad. Whereas most Southern Conference schools are a bus trip away, life in the A-10 provides opportunities to play far away from Davidson, North Carolina in conference, from Amherst, Massachusetts to St. Louis, Missouri.
4) How about the freshman class? You certainly tried to bring new players in knowing they would be coming to an Atlantic 10 program, it had to add a new dimension to recruiting.
Savage: "It certainly does, because most of my team signed up for the SoCon, so our team motto this year is "Sacrifice". Returning players have to do a lot more, you have to sacrifice, and they've embraced it. We are expecting our freshmen to be key players; they will play a lot this first year. The opportunity for them to play in the A-10 was there, and when you're combining talent, you're trying to get the most out that you can from everybody. Players may have started at different levels, but we're trying to bring everyone up to the new level."
This will be the 42nd season of Davidson women's basketball, half of them were spent in the Southern Conference. Their last postseason win was two years ago, at Old Dominion in the first round of the WNIT.
The Wildcats have never met nine of their new conference partners. They lost their only games against Rhode Island (1995-96), Saint Joseph's (2008-09) and Richmond (last season). They are 1-2 all-time against Duquesne.
They'll get an early test of the new benchmark of strength and conditioning when they open the season on the road at former SoCon rival Furman November 14th. The Wildcats have won five of their last eight meetings with the Paladins.
The first Atlantic 10 conference game in Davidson history arrives January 4th when they host La Salle.
First up, the newest member of the conference.
Team: Davidson Wildcats
Head Coach: Michele Savage (Northwestern '93, 5th season)
2013-14 Record: 16-16 (11-7 in Southern Conference)
Returning Starters:
--Dakota Dukes (6' junior forward): 14.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg
--Hannah Early (6' 1" senior forward): 13.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg
--Shannon Eriksson (5' 7" senior guard): 5.4 ppg, 78% FT pct.)
--Lillian McCabe (6' senior guard): 4.6 ppg,
1) What is Davidson Basketball?
Savage: "We've been a successful program for the past four years in the SoCon (Southern Conference), winning the league, going to the NIT, things of that sort. It's good, fundamental basketball, that's what we are. It's going to be exciting to watch us play."
2) Are you more of a defensive-oriented team?
Savage: "Absolutely not. We have got to improve on defense, bottom line. Last year, we scored about as many points a game as we gave up. When you do that, you get 16-16. We need to dedicate and refocus on the defensive end."
3) How do you prepare your team for the Atlantic 10? It's exciting, but does it leave any questions in the back of their minds?
Savage: "I would certainly think so. We started with them (on this process) last year in the spring when the pairings came out and had them watch the three schools (Dayton, St. Joseph's, Fordham) playing in the NCAA Tournament to say, hey, this is now our competition. They came back with very good, valid points on the differences, and a lot of it was strength. So we went to the weight room, working to build our strength and not worry about how we look in shorts. It's more for safety, and being able to hold our own on the floor, and they really bought into that."
Savage explained to RVA Sports Network another big change is transitioning from a "bus league" to a "plane league", and how traveling will be a totally new experience for her squad. Whereas most Southern Conference schools are a bus trip away, life in the A-10 provides opportunities to play far away from Davidson, North Carolina in conference, from Amherst, Massachusetts to St. Louis, Missouri.
4) How about the freshman class? You certainly tried to bring new players in knowing they would be coming to an Atlantic 10 program, it had to add a new dimension to recruiting.
Savage: "It certainly does, because most of my team signed up for the SoCon, so our team motto this year is "Sacrifice". Returning players have to do a lot more, you have to sacrifice, and they've embraced it. We are expecting our freshmen to be key players; they will play a lot this first year. The opportunity for them to play in the A-10 was there, and when you're combining talent, you're trying to get the most out that you can from everybody. Players may have started at different levels, but we're trying to bring everyone up to the new level."
This will be the 42nd season of Davidson women's basketball, half of them were spent in the Southern Conference. Their last postseason win was two years ago, at Old Dominion in the first round of the WNIT.
The Wildcats have never met nine of their new conference partners. They lost their only games against Rhode Island (1995-96), Saint Joseph's (2008-09) and Richmond (last season). They are 1-2 all-time against Duquesne.
They'll get an early test of the new benchmark of strength and conditioning when they open the season on the road at former SoCon rival Furman November 14th. The Wildcats have won five of their last eight meetings with the Paladins.
The first Atlantic 10 conference game in Davidson history arrives January 4th when they host La Salle.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Preseason Conference Poll: Dayton Dominant
Only missing Cassie Sant from a team that won the Atlantic 10 regular season title, made the Tournament Final, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, the Dayton Flyers are the unanimous pick to capture the 2014-15 Atlantic 10 crown in the annual preseason coaches poll.
George Washington was picked to finish second, while defending Tournament Champion Fordham was picked fifth.
2014-15 Preseason Poll:
1) Dayton - 196 (14 first place votes)
2) George Washington - 173
3) Saint Joseph's - 156
4) St. Bonaventure - 153
5) Fordham - 143
6) Richmond - 104
7) Duquesne - 103
8) La Salle - 97
9) St. Louis - 90
10) VCU - 87
11) George Mason - 54
12) Davidson - 42
13) Rhode Island - 39
14) Massachusetts - 24
George Washington was picked to finish second, while defending Tournament Champion Fordham was picked fifth.
2014-15 Preseason Poll:
1) Dayton - 196 (14 first place votes)
2) George Washington - 173
3) Saint Joseph's - 156
4) St. Bonaventure - 153
5) Fordham - 143
6) Richmond - 104
7) Duquesne - 103
8) La Salle - 97
9) St. Louis - 90
10) VCU - 87
11) George Mason - 54
12) Davidson - 42
13) Rhode Island - 39
14) Massachusetts - 24
Monday, October 20, 2014
Media Day Tuesday!
Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Media Day is Tuesday, as the 2014-15 season quickly approaches!
RVA Sports Network will be there to cover the unveiling of preseason rankings, and to talk to as many of the coaches as time allows. Storylines we are following early on include:
1) Richmond Spiders Play On: After the tragic deaths of long-time associate head coach Ginny Doyle and operations director Natalie Lewis in a hot-air balloon accident in May, head coach Michael Shafer and his Spiders must prepare to play the season with heavy hearts and renewed determination.
2) New Head Coaches: Beth O'Boyle comes to VCU after a three-year stint at Stony Brook, replacing Marlene Stollings, now at the University of Minnesota. Meanwhile, Daynia La-Force comes to Rhode Island from Northeastern, looking to help the Rams become more competitive in the conference.
3) The 14th Member Arrives: Davidson becomes the newest member of the Atlantic 10, coming from the Southern Conference, where they posted a 16-16 mark last season.
We'll also track newcomers to all 14 teams, and how they're dealing with losses to graduation and more, as our in-depth coverage of Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball rolls on with our "14 Previews in 14 Days" beginning Monday, October 27th, right here!
RVA Sports Network will be there to cover the unveiling of preseason rankings, and to talk to as many of the coaches as time allows. Storylines we are following early on include:
1) Richmond Spiders Play On: After the tragic deaths of long-time associate head coach Ginny Doyle and operations director Natalie Lewis in a hot-air balloon accident in May, head coach Michael Shafer and his Spiders must prepare to play the season with heavy hearts and renewed determination.
2) New Head Coaches: Beth O'Boyle comes to VCU after a three-year stint at Stony Brook, replacing Marlene Stollings, now at the University of Minnesota. Meanwhile, Daynia La-Force comes to Rhode Island from Northeastern, looking to help the Rams become more competitive in the conference.
3) The 14th Member Arrives: Davidson becomes the newest member of the Atlantic 10, coming from the Southern Conference, where they posted a 16-16 mark last season.
We'll also track newcomers to all 14 teams, and how they're dealing with losses to graduation and more, as our in-depth coverage of Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball rolls on with our "14 Previews in 14 Days" beginning Monday, October 27th, right here!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
2014-2015 A-10 Conference Schedule Released!
The Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Conference Schedule was released today by the league office, highlighted by many appearances on national television to augment the A-10's online presence through the Atlantic 10 Network.
New this year is a better start time to the March 8th Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship Final, 1pm rather than last year's 11am start. With a 14th team, Davidson, now in the fold, there will be two "opening round" games on Wednesday, March 4 at the Richmond Coliseum, up one from last season.
Here is the schedule, with networks listed where applicable. Note most start times have not been determined.
(Televised games will be on ESPNU, CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) or NBC Sports Network (NBCSN). "TBA" means tip-off time has not been determined...)
Saturday, January 3
Duquesne at Rhode Island TBA
Massachusetts at St. Bonaventure TBA
VCU at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Sunday, January 4
Saint Louis at George Mason 2:00 pm NBCSN
George Washington at Dayton 3:30 pm ESPNU
Richmond at Fordham 3:30 pm CBSSN
La Salle at Davidson TBA
Wednesday, January 7
Dayton at Davidson TBA
St. Bonaventure at Richmond TBA
Saint Joseph’s at George Washington TBA
Saint Louis at Massachusetts TBA
Thursday, January 8
Fordham at La Salle TBA
George Mason at Duquesne TBA
Rhode Island at VCU TBA
Saturday, January 10
Massachusetts at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Richmond at George Washington TBA
Sunday, January 11
Fordham at St. Bonaventure 4:00 pm NBCSN
Duquesne at Dayton TBA
George Mason at La Salle TBA
Rhode Island at Davidson TBA
Monday, January 12
VCU at Saint Louis TBA
Wednesday, January 14
St. Bonaventure at George Mason TBA
Thursday, January 15
Saint Joseph’s at Fordham 7:00 pm CBSSN
Davidson at VCU TBA
George Washington at Rhode Island TBA
La Salle at Massachusetts TBA
Saint Louis at Duquesne TBA
Sunday, January 18
George Mason at Richmond 12:00 pm ESPNU
George Washington at Massachusetts 2:00 pm CBSSN
Saint Joseph’s at Duquesne 4:00 pm CBSSN
Dayton at St. Bonaventure 5:00 pm NBCSN
Davidson at Saint Louis TBA
La Salle at Rhode Island TBA
VCU at Fordham TBA
Wednesday, January 21
Duquesne at George Washington TBA
Massachusetts at Fordham TBA
Rhode Island at Dayton TBA
Richmond at Davidson TBA
Saint Louis at La Salle TBA
VCU at St. Bonaventure TBA
Saturday, January 24
Fordham at Saint Louis 2:00 or 4:00 pm CBSSN
Davidson at Duquesne TBA
Dayton at VCU TBA
George Washington at La Salle TBA
Massachusetts at Richmond TBA
Rhode Island at George Mason TBA
St. Bonaventure at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Wednesday, January 28
Dayton at Richmond TBA
Duquesne at St. Bonaventure TBA
Fordham at Davidson TBA
George Mason at VCU TBA
Saint Joseph’s at Saint Louis TBA
Friday, January 30
Richmond at Rhode Island TBA
Saturday, January 31
Duquesne at Fordham TBA
George Washington at George Mason TBA
La Salle at VCU TBA
St. Bonaventure at Massachusetts TBA
Saint Joseph’s at Davidson TBA
Saint Louis at Dayton TBA
Wednesday, February 4
La Salle at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Massachusetts at Rhode Island TBA
VCU at Richmond TBA
Thursday, February 5
Davidson at George Washington TBA
Dayton at George Mason TBA
St. Bonaventure at Fordham TBA
Saturday, February 7
Massachusetts at La Salle TBA
Saint Louis at Richmond TBA
VCU at Duquesne TBA
Sunday, February 8
Dayton at George Washington 12:00 pm CBSSN
Davidson at George Mason TBA
Fordham at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Rhode Island at St. Bonaventure TBA
Wednesday, February 11
Duquesne at La Salle TBA
George Mason at Massachusetts TBA
George Washington at Saint Louis TBA
Richmond at Dayton TBA
Saint Joseph’s at Rhode Island TBA
Saturday, February 14
Duquesne at Massachusetts TBA
La Salle at Richmond TBA
Saint Louis at Davidson TBA
VCU at George Mason TBA
Sunday, February 15
Saint Joseph’s at Dayton 12:00 pm CBSSN
Fordham at Rhode Island TBA
St. Bonaventure at George Washington TBA
Wednesday, February 18
Davidson at Massachusetts TBA
Dayton at Fordham TBA
George Mason at Saint Joseph’s TBA
George Washington at VCU TBA
Richmond at Duquesne TBA
St. Bonaventure at Saint Louis TBA
Thursday, February 19
Rhode Island at La Salle TBA
Saturday, February 21
Davidson at St. Bonaventure TBA
Fordham at George Washington TBA
George Mason at Saint Louis TBA
Richmond at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Sunday, February 22
La Salle at Dayton TBA
Massachusetts at VCU TBA
Rhode Island at Duquesne TBA
Wednesday, February 25
Duquesne at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Fordham at George Mason TBA
La Salle at St. Bonaventure TBA
VCU at Davidson TBA
Thursday, February 26
George Washington at Richmond TBA
Massachusetts at Dayton TBA
Saint Louis at Rhode Island TBA
Sunday, March 1
Richmond at VCU 2:00 pm CBSSN
Davidson at Fordham TBA
Dayton at Saint Louis TBA
George Mason at George Washington TBA
Rhode Island at Massachusetts TBA
Saint Joseph’s at La Salle TBA
St. Bonaventure at Duquesne TBA
2015 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament (Richmond Coliseum)
Wednesday, March 4
A-10 Championship Opening Round TBA A10N
Thursday, March 5
A-10 Championship First Round TBA A10N
Friday, March 6
A-10 Championship Quarterfinals TBA A10N
Saturday, March 7
A-10 Championship Semifinals 11:00 am and 1:30 pm CBSSN
Sunday, March 8
A-10 Championship Final 1:00 pm
New this year is a better start time to the March 8th Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship Final, 1pm rather than last year's 11am start. With a 14th team, Davidson, now in the fold, there will be two "opening round" games on Wednesday, March 4 at the Richmond Coliseum, up one from last season.
Here is the schedule, with networks listed where applicable. Note most start times have not been determined.
(Televised games will be on ESPNU, CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) or NBC Sports Network (NBCSN). "TBA" means tip-off time has not been determined...)
Saturday, January 3
Duquesne at Rhode Island TBA
Massachusetts at St. Bonaventure TBA
VCU at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Sunday, January 4
Saint Louis at George Mason 2:00 pm NBCSN
George Washington at Dayton 3:30 pm ESPNU
Richmond at Fordham 3:30 pm CBSSN
La Salle at Davidson TBA
Wednesday, January 7
Dayton at Davidson TBA
St. Bonaventure at Richmond TBA
Saint Joseph’s at George Washington TBA
Saint Louis at Massachusetts TBA
Thursday, January 8
Fordham at La Salle TBA
George Mason at Duquesne TBA
Rhode Island at VCU TBA
Saturday, January 10
Massachusetts at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Richmond at George Washington TBA
Sunday, January 11
Fordham at St. Bonaventure 4:00 pm NBCSN
Duquesne at Dayton TBA
George Mason at La Salle TBA
Rhode Island at Davidson TBA
Monday, January 12
VCU at Saint Louis TBA
Wednesday, January 14
St. Bonaventure at George Mason TBA
Thursday, January 15
Saint Joseph’s at Fordham 7:00 pm CBSSN
Davidson at VCU TBA
George Washington at Rhode Island TBA
La Salle at Massachusetts TBA
Saint Louis at Duquesne TBA
Sunday, January 18
George Mason at Richmond 12:00 pm ESPNU
George Washington at Massachusetts 2:00 pm CBSSN
Saint Joseph’s at Duquesne 4:00 pm CBSSN
Dayton at St. Bonaventure 5:00 pm NBCSN
Davidson at Saint Louis TBA
La Salle at Rhode Island TBA
VCU at Fordham TBA
Wednesday, January 21
Duquesne at George Washington TBA
Massachusetts at Fordham TBA
Rhode Island at Dayton TBA
Richmond at Davidson TBA
Saint Louis at La Salle TBA
VCU at St. Bonaventure TBA
Saturday, January 24
Fordham at Saint Louis 2:00 or 4:00 pm CBSSN
Davidson at Duquesne TBA
Dayton at VCU TBA
George Washington at La Salle TBA
Massachusetts at Richmond TBA
Rhode Island at George Mason TBA
St. Bonaventure at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Wednesday, January 28
Dayton at Richmond TBA
Duquesne at St. Bonaventure TBA
Fordham at Davidson TBA
George Mason at VCU TBA
Saint Joseph’s at Saint Louis TBA
Friday, January 30
Richmond at Rhode Island TBA
Saturday, January 31
Duquesne at Fordham TBA
George Washington at George Mason TBA
La Salle at VCU TBA
St. Bonaventure at Massachusetts TBA
Saint Joseph’s at Davidson TBA
Saint Louis at Dayton TBA
Wednesday, February 4
La Salle at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Massachusetts at Rhode Island TBA
VCU at Richmond TBA
Thursday, February 5
Davidson at George Washington TBA
Dayton at George Mason TBA
St. Bonaventure at Fordham TBA
Saturday, February 7
Massachusetts at La Salle TBA
Saint Louis at Richmond TBA
VCU at Duquesne TBA
Sunday, February 8
Dayton at George Washington 12:00 pm CBSSN
Davidson at George Mason TBA
Fordham at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Rhode Island at St. Bonaventure TBA
Wednesday, February 11
Duquesne at La Salle TBA
George Mason at Massachusetts TBA
George Washington at Saint Louis TBA
Richmond at Dayton TBA
Saint Joseph’s at Rhode Island TBA
Saturday, February 14
Duquesne at Massachusetts TBA
La Salle at Richmond TBA
Saint Louis at Davidson TBA
VCU at George Mason TBA
Sunday, February 15
Saint Joseph’s at Dayton 12:00 pm CBSSN
Fordham at Rhode Island TBA
St. Bonaventure at George Washington TBA
Wednesday, February 18
Davidson at Massachusetts TBA
Dayton at Fordham TBA
George Mason at Saint Joseph’s TBA
George Washington at VCU TBA
Richmond at Duquesne TBA
St. Bonaventure at Saint Louis TBA
Thursday, February 19
Rhode Island at La Salle TBA
Saturday, February 21
Davidson at St. Bonaventure TBA
Fordham at George Washington TBA
George Mason at Saint Louis TBA
Richmond at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Sunday, February 22
La Salle at Dayton TBA
Massachusetts at VCU TBA
Rhode Island at Duquesne TBA
Wednesday, February 25
Duquesne at Saint Joseph’s TBA
Fordham at George Mason TBA
La Salle at St. Bonaventure TBA
VCU at Davidson TBA
Thursday, February 26
George Washington at Richmond TBA
Massachusetts at Dayton TBA
Saint Louis at Rhode Island TBA
Sunday, March 1
Richmond at VCU 2:00 pm CBSSN
Davidson at Fordham TBA
Dayton at Saint Louis TBA
George Mason at George Washington TBA
Rhode Island at Massachusetts TBA
Saint Joseph’s at La Salle TBA
St. Bonaventure at Duquesne TBA
2015 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament (Richmond Coliseum)
Wednesday, March 4
A-10 Championship Opening Round TBA A10N
Thursday, March 5
A-10 Championship First Round TBA A10N
Friday, March 6
A-10 Championship Quarterfinals TBA A10N
Saturday, March 7
A-10 Championship Semifinals 11:00 am and 1:30 pm CBSSN
Sunday, March 8
A-10 Championship Final 1:00 pm
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
"Time of Remembrance" For UR's Doyle, Lewis....
The University of Richmond will host "A Time of Remembrance" to pay respects to assistant women's basketball coach Ginny Doyle and director of basketball operations Natalie Lewis, who both perished in last Friday's tragic hot air balloon accident in Doswell prior to the Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival, on Wednesday morning.
The service will begin at 10AM. A more formal memorial service is planned by the University later in the fall.
CLICK HERE for details about Wednesday's event.
The service will begin at 10AM. A more formal memorial service is planned by the University later in the fall.
CLICK HERE for details about Wednesday's event.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
VCU Loses Key Freshman From Past Season...
In the wake of coaching changes at the Siegel Center, 5' 8" point guard Keira Robinson has decided to transfer from VCU to Charlotte. The move will put Robinson, originally from Columbia, South Carolina, closer to her home.
Robinson played 32 games for the Rams this past season, averaging 11.4 points, 6.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per contest, and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Freshman team.
Just last Tuesday, VCU introduced former Stony Brook head coach Beth O'Boyle as their new court leader, replacing Marlene Stollings, who resigned to take the head coaching job at Minnesota. O'Boyle is the 13th head coach in VCU women's basketball history.
No official word yet on whether coaching changes, or simply a desire to be closer to home, are motivating factors for Robinson to head to the 49ers of Conference USA.
The Rams averaged 75.8 points per game last season. 33 of those points, on average, came from Robinson and now-graduated star Robyn Parks. Generating more offense from all the returnees will be a high priority of O'Boyle and her staff.
Robinson played 32 games for the Rams this past season, averaging 11.4 points, 6.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per contest, and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Freshman team.
Just last Tuesday, VCU introduced former Stony Brook head coach Beth O'Boyle as their new court leader, replacing Marlene Stollings, who resigned to take the head coaching job at Minnesota. O'Boyle is the 13th head coach in VCU women's basketball history.
No official word yet on whether coaching changes, or simply a desire to be closer to home, are motivating factors for Robinson to head to the 49ers of Conference USA.
The Rams averaged 75.8 points per game last season. 33 of those points, on average, came from Robinson and now-graduated star Robyn Parks. Generating more offense from all the returnees will be a high priority of O'Boyle and her staff.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
O'Boyle Introduced as New VCU Head Coach....
The original leader of "Fury" is now firmly in control at Minnesota.
Introducing Beth O'Boyle, the new head basketball coach at VCU. O'Boyle took part at a press conference on Tuesday at the Siegel Center as head men's coach Shaka Smart looked on in support.
For a complete review of the event, and a look at O'Boyle's career up to now, click HERE for a fine (as always) read from Vic Dorr at the Times-Dispatch.
Introducing Beth O'Boyle, the new head basketball coach at VCU. O'Boyle took part at a press conference on Tuesday at the Siegel Center as head men's coach Shaka Smart looked on in support.
For a complete review of the event, and a look at O'Boyle's career up to now, click HERE for a fine (as always) read from Vic Dorr at the Times-Dispatch.
Monday, March 17, 2014
SELECTION MONDAY!!
Congratulations to the Dayton Flyers, Fordham Rams and St. Joseph's Hawks, who all received bids to the 2014 NCAA Women's Tournament tonight!
Dayton, the regular season Atlantic 10 Champion, is a #6 seed and will face #11 seed Florida on Sunday at 3pm in University Park, PA in the Stanford Region.
Fordham, the Atlantic 10 Tournament Champion, received the conference's automatic bid as a #10 seed, and will face #7 California on Saturday at 4pm in Waco, Texas in the Notre Dame Region.
St. Joseph's received a bid as a #9 seed, and will battle #8 Georgia on Sunday at 5:30pm in Storrs, Connecticut in the Lincoln Region.
******
In addition, four Atlantic 10 teams, VCU, Duquesne, George Washington and St. Bonaventure, all received bits to the 2014 WNIT.
UPDATE: VCU will travel to Princeton for a first round game on Thursday, March 20th, while Duquesne will host Mount St. Mary's Friday. March 21st in a first round game. George Washington will host East Carolina in Washington on Wednesday night, March 19th at 7pm, and St. Bonaventure receives a home game against Charlotte on Friday night in Olean, New York.
WATCH: Check out tonight's Dayton Flyers celebration and announcement party courtesy of their YouTube Channel by CLICKING HERE!
Dayton, the regular season Atlantic 10 Champion, is a #6 seed and will face #11 seed Florida on Sunday at 3pm in University Park, PA in the Stanford Region.
Fordham, the Atlantic 10 Tournament Champion, received the conference's automatic bid as a #10 seed, and will face #7 California on Saturday at 4pm in Waco, Texas in the Notre Dame Region.
St. Joseph's received a bid as a #9 seed, and will battle #8 Georgia on Sunday at 5:30pm in Storrs, Connecticut in the Lincoln Region.
******
In addition, four Atlantic 10 teams, VCU, Duquesne, George Washington and St. Bonaventure, all received bits to the 2014 WNIT.
UPDATE: VCU will travel to Princeton for a first round game on Thursday, March 20th, while Duquesne will host Mount St. Mary's Friday. March 21st in a first round game. George Washington will host East Carolina in Washington on Wednesday night, March 19th at 7pm, and St. Bonaventure receives a home game against Charlotte on Friday night in Olean, New York.
WATCH: Check out tonight's Dayton Flyers celebration and announcement party courtesy of their YouTube Channel by CLICKING HERE!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY: Fordham Wins First Atlantic 10 Title....
The Fordham Rams finished their 2009-10 season at 8-22. They followed that with a 12-19 mark, a coaching change, and a 12-18 season.
The turnaround began in head coach Stephanie Gaitley's second season, 2012-13, when the Rams vaulted from 12th to 3rd in the Atlantic 10, moving from 3-11 to 12-2, and advancing to their first Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship game, where they fell to St. Joseph's 47-46.
Mark March 9, 2014 in the Rams' history books where the turnaround should be deemed complete.
Fordham used timely shooting, tremendous tenacity on the boards, especially on the offensive end, and a fighter's mentality to figuratively and literally knock off the number-one seed, the Dayton Flyers, 63-51 in the 2014 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Sunday afternoon at the Richmond Coliseum.
The senior co-leaders of the Rams, Abigail Corning and Erin Rooney, each registered a double-double, Corning with 12 points and 11 rebounds, Rooney with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Rooney, despite her 5' 8" frame, was a rebounding force, helping lead the Rams to a 48-33 advantage on the glass.
Corning, for her work all weekend, was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
The disparity was noted and explained by a very disappointed Dayton head coach, Jim Jabir.
"We got outplayed, outcoached...they wanted it more and they executed wonderfully. When you give up 17 offensive rebounds and they shoot like they do, we don't have much of a chance at that point," Jabir said.
After an 89-68 win over George Washington characterized by Jabir as perhaps the team's best work so far this season, Sunday's performance were shockingly opposite.
"As well as we played yesterday, we played that poorly today. We were hesitant in our offense. As well as we executed yesterday, we were just jacking up shots today. We were out of sorts, and that's my fault."
Conference Player of the Year Andrea Hoover was the only Flyer to shoot 50 percent or better, and the only Dayton player in double figures with 22. Celeste Edwards scored six early, cooled, and finished with eight points on 4-of-15 shooting. Ally Malott went ice cold, going 2-for-11, finishing with 5 points.
The Flyers fall to 23-7 and still expect to be awarded an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament when the field is announced a week from Monday night. They were projected coming into Sunday as a #5 seed, up from a #6 seed after their strong semifinal performance. Now, that will all change, and Jabir will look for the right way to right the ship.
"I was very frank with them in the locker room. I told them exactly what I think the problem is and we're going to address the problem. We will get better. I think mentally we make excuses for ourselves sometimes," Jabir explained. "We rely on luck rather than being consistent and doing the same behavior the right way every time. I don't think we're really confident. If we make a couple of shots and things are going well, we play really well. If there's any kind of adversity, we struggle."
*****************
For Gaitley, the victory in the Richmond Coliseum is a "full-circle" moment of sorts. She coached the University of Richmond from 1985 to 1991, winning 116 games and two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championships. After stops at St. Joseph's, Monmouth, and Long Island Universities, she was named Fordham's head coach on April 1, 2011. Just shy of three years later, she has the Rams in only their second NCAA Tournament, their first since 1994.
"I know the emotion of losing a championship, we experienced it a year ago," Gaitley reminded the press following the victory. "I would be remiss if my first comments weren't about my senior co-captains, Erin and Abigail. Abigail is the hardest working player I've ever coached, and that's not a knock on Erin. But Abigail plays hard in every possession, even in practice. Erin can sometimes make it look easier, Abigail is the little engine that could."
Rooney transferred to Fordham from Monmouth after Gaitley made the move, but not before almost declining. It wasn't until learning her preferred major in science was being added at Fordham that Rooney opted to follow Gaitley, and what followed was a brand new Rams program.
After sitting out the 2011-12 season per NCAA rules, Rooney averaged 13.9 points per game as Fordham advanced to the WNIT in 2012-13. This season, Rooney increased her accuracy from the field, averaged 18.2 points per game, and became the first Fordham player to be named First-Team All-Atlantic 10.
Winning the tournament championship was an overwhelming moment for Rooney.
"It's hard to describe. It's really just a feeling," Rooney said, pointing directly to her heart.
For Corning, who has seen it all in four years at Fordham, the turnaround is especially sweet.
"A complete 360, that's for sure. In my freshman year, to think we'd win the conference tournament, sitting her as champs today. It's really a credit to coach coming in sophomore year and turning the program around. We knew it would take some time. Our sophomore year, we played our hearts and we had talent but we didn't have all the pieces together. Last year we had the pieces, we just fell a point shy," Corning said.
(Abigail Corning, facing camera, shares the clipped net with senior co-captain Erin Rooney)
Corning and Rooney smiled widely while wearing their Atlantic 10 Champions hats and t-shirts. Following the press conference, they returned to the court and finished cutting down the nets.
For them, Gaitley and her staff, and the rest of the Fordham program, a statement was made, a title was won, and a ticket was punched, as the Rams were not forecast to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The only way to make sure you go to the Big Dance is to earn it. On this Sunday at the Richmond Coliseum, the Rams earned it, on both ends of the floor and in every way, large and small.
NOTES:
--Corning and Rooney were joined on the All-Tournament Team by Dayton's Hoover and Malott and VCU's Robyn Parks. Overlooked was George Washington guard Danni Jackson, who was in double figures in both of the Colonials' tournament games, and single-handedly tried to keep the Colonials in their semifinal loss to Dayton when the Flyers shut down leading scorer Jonquel Jones.
--The NCAA Tournament field will be announced Monday, March 17th at 7pm on ESPN. It will be a long wait for St. Joseph's. The tournament's #5 seed, who lost 82-79 in overtime to #4 George Washington in the quarterfinals on Friday, entered the tourney with an RPI of 17 and a Strength of Schedule of 20. Bracket projections gave the Hawks an at-large berth with a #9 or #10 seed. With Fordham grabbing the automatic Atlantic 10 berth, now the question will be if the committee will not deem the A-10 strong enough for three bids, and whether the Hawks could pay the price for that.
If based on individual team performance, the Flyers, Rams and Hawks should all see their names on television next Monday. In addition, George Washington, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne and VCU, in our projections, should see invites to the WNIT.
If seven teams out of the conference's 13 make the postseason, it would have to be considered a very successful season for the Atlantic 10, a year which saw a strong top half (VCU lost seven of their eight regular season games overall in conference) with teams beating up each other through January and February, and its first neutral court postseason tournament featuring all 13 teams this past weekend here in RVA.
Add to that touted recruiting classes at schools such as St. Louis and George Mason, and a Richmond team who will regroup after an injury-plagued year, and the Atlantic 10 will be ready to take yet another step up in quality of women's basketball overall.
But for today, the Fordham Rams wear the net and hold the trophy. And the love affair between a school and their team's co-leaders, nicknamed "Eri-Gail" by a media member after the contest, will continue as well.
(Erin Rooney poses before finishing the final cut of the Championship net at the Richmond Coliseum...)
The turnaround began in head coach Stephanie Gaitley's second season, 2012-13, when the Rams vaulted from 12th to 3rd in the Atlantic 10, moving from 3-11 to 12-2, and advancing to their first Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship game, where they fell to St. Joseph's 47-46.
Mark March 9, 2014 in the Rams' history books where the turnaround should be deemed complete.
Fordham used timely shooting, tremendous tenacity on the boards, especially on the offensive end, and a fighter's mentality to figuratively and literally knock off the number-one seed, the Dayton Flyers, 63-51 in the 2014 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Sunday afternoon at the Richmond Coliseum.
The senior co-leaders of the Rams, Abigail Corning and Erin Rooney, each registered a double-double, Corning with 12 points and 11 rebounds, Rooney with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Rooney, despite her 5' 8" frame, was a rebounding force, helping lead the Rams to a 48-33 advantage on the glass.
Corning, for her work all weekend, was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
The disparity was noted and explained by a very disappointed Dayton head coach, Jim Jabir.
"We got outplayed, outcoached...they wanted it more and they executed wonderfully. When you give up 17 offensive rebounds and they shoot like they do, we don't have much of a chance at that point," Jabir said.
After an 89-68 win over George Washington characterized by Jabir as perhaps the team's best work so far this season, Sunday's performance were shockingly opposite.
"As well as we played yesterday, we played that poorly today. We were hesitant in our offense. As well as we executed yesterday, we were just jacking up shots today. We were out of sorts, and that's my fault."
Conference Player of the Year Andrea Hoover was the only Flyer to shoot 50 percent or better, and the only Dayton player in double figures with 22. Celeste Edwards scored six early, cooled, and finished with eight points on 4-of-15 shooting. Ally Malott went ice cold, going 2-for-11, finishing with 5 points.
The Flyers fall to 23-7 and still expect to be awarded an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament when the field is announced a week from Monday night. They were projected coming into Sunday as a #5 seed, up from a #6 seed after their strong semifinal performance. Now, that will all change, and Jabir will look for the right way to right the ship.
"I was very frank with them in the locker room. I told them exactly what I think the problem is and we're going to address the problem. We will get better. I think mentally we make excuses for ourselves sometimes," Jabir explained. "We rely on luck rather than being consistent and doing the same behavior the right way every time. I don't think we're really confident. If we make a couple of shots and things are going well, we play really well. If there's any kind of adversity, we struggle."
*****************
For Gaitley, the victory in the Richmond Coliseum is a "full-circle" moment of sorts. She coached the University of Richmond from 1985 to 1991, winning 116 games and two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championships. After stops at St. Joseph's, Monmouth, and Long Island Universities, she was named Fordham's head coach on April 1, 2011. Just shy of three years later, she has the Rams in only their second NCAA Tournament, their first since 1994.
"I know the emotion of losing a championship, we experienced it a year ago," Gaitley reminded the press following the victory. "I would be remiss if my first comments weren't about my senior co-captains, Erin and Abigail. Abigail is the hardest working player I've ever coached, and that's not a knock on Erin. But Abigail plays hard in every possession, even in practice. Erin can sometimes make it look easier, Abigail is the little engine that could."
Rooney transferred to Fordham from Monmouth after Gaitley made the move, but not before almost declining. It wasn't until learning her preferred major in science was being added at Fordham that Rooney opted to follow Gaitley, and what followed was a brand new Rams program.
After sitting out the 2011-12 season per NCAA rules, Rooney averaged 13.9 points per game as Fordham advanced to the WNIT in 2012-13. This season, Rooney increased her accuracy from the field, averaged 18.2 points per game, and became the first Fordham player to be named First-Team All-Atlantic 10.
Winning the tournament championship was an overwhelming moment for Rooney.
"It's hard to describe. It's really just a feeling," Rooney said, pointing directly to her heart.
For Corning, who has seen it all in four years at Fordham, the turnaround is especially sweet.
"A complete 360, that's for sure. In my freshman year, to think we'd win the conference tournament, sitting her as champs today. It's really a credit to coach coming in sophomore year and turning the program around. We knew it would take some time. Our sophomore year, we played our hearts and we had talent but we didn't have all the pieces together. Last year we had the pieces, we just fell a point shy," Corning said.
(Abigail Corning, facing camera, shares the clipped net with senior co-captain Erin Rooney)
Corning and Rooney smiled widely while wearing their Atlantic 10 Champions hats and t-shirts. Following the press conference, they returned to the court and finished cutting down the nets.
For them, Gaitley and her staff, and the rest of the Fordham program, a statement was made, a title was won, and a ticket was punched, as the Rams were not forecast to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The only way to make sure you go to the Big Dance is to earn it. On this Sunday at the Richmond Coliseum, the Rams earned it, on both ends of the floor and in every way, large and small.
NOTES:
--Corning and Rooney were joined on the All-Tournament Team by Dayton's Hoover and Malott and VCU's Robyn Parks. Overlooked was George Washington guard Danni Jackson, who was in double figures in both of the Colonials' tournament games, and single-handedly tried to keep the Colonials in their semifinal loss to Dayton when the Flyers shut down leading scorer Jonquel Jones.
--The NCAA Tournament field will be announced Monday, March 17th at 7pm on ESPN. It will be a long wait for St. Joseph's. The tournament's #5 seed, who lost 82-79 in overtime to #4 George Washington in the quarterfinals on Friday, entered the tourney with an RPI of 17 and a Strength of Schedule of 20. Bracket projections gave the Hawks an at-large berth with a #9 or #10 seed. With Fordham grabbing the automatic Atlantic 10 berth, now the question will be if the committee will not deem the A-10 strong enough for three bids, and whether the Hawks could pay the price for that.
If based on individual team performance, the Flyers, Rams and Hawks should all see their names on television next Monday. In addition, George Washington, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne and VCU, in our projections, should see invites to the WNIT.
If seven teams out of the conference's 13 make the postseason, it would have to be considered a very successful season for the Atlantic 10, a year which saw a strong top half (VCU lost seven of their eight regular season games overall in conference) with teams beating up each other through January and February, and its first neutral court postseason tournament featuring all 13 teams this past weekend here in RVA.
Add to that touted recruiting classes at schools such as St. Louis and George Mason, and a Richmond team who will regroup after an injury-plagued year, and the Atlantic 10 will be ready to take yet another step up in quality of women's basketball overall.
But for today, the Fordham Rams wear the net and hold the trophy. And the love affair between a school and their team's co-leaders, nicknamed "Eri-Gail" by a media member after the contest, will continue as well.
UPSET: Fordham knocks off Dayton to WIN Atlantic 10 Tournament, NCAA Berth....
An amazing performance of consistency in all phases of the game, coupled with the shooting of the Dayton Flyers going cold, gives the Fordham Rams, after 19 seasons in the Atlantic 10, their First Tournament Championship, 63-51.
Three Rams had double-doubles: the senior combination of Erin Rooney (13 pts, 13 rebounds), Abigail Corning (12 pts, 11 rebounds) and Emily Tapio, who came alive in the second half with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Andrea Hoover's 22 points and 6 rebounds were not enough as the Flyers fall short again of the tournament championship after a two-year regular season run that saw Dayton finish first place with 16-0 and 14-2 records.
More to come!
Three Rams had double-doubles: the senior combination of Erin Rooney (13 pts, 13 rebounds), Abigail Corning (12 pts, 11 rebounds) and Emily Tapio, who came alive in the second half with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Andrea Hoover's 22 points and 6 rebounds were not enough as the Flyers fall short again of the tournament championship after a two-year regular season run that saw Dayton finish first place with 16-0 and 14-2 records.
More to come!
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE HALF: #1 Dayton 30, #3 Fordham 29....
Save a brief stretch about five to seven minutes into the game when Dayton, the top-seed, had a chance to open up a double-digit lead but didn't, it has been a battle worthy of the term "championship".
The Rams cut a six-point edge down to one by 10:15 left in the half, then hit back-to-back threes to take a small advantage. A missed opportunity on the final possession of the half by Fordham, where they ran their play, only to kick back to guard Erin Rooney at the point to face a half-court trap with eight seconds left, not giving them enough time to re-run the play before the horn, may be one that's remembered awhile for Rams fans.
Abigail Corning leads the Rams with 9 points, while Rooney has 5 points and 6 tenacious rebounds.
For Dayton, the physical trials of Ally Malott continue. She re-tweaked an ankle that was hurt in the VCU quarterfinal, and bled from an elbow late in the half after drawing a foul inside. She made one-of-two free throws and has 3 points and 5 rebounds.
Conference Player of the Year Andrea Hoover has lived to that billing, leading Dayton with 11 points and 5 rebounds, four of them on the offensive glass, where she makes a living batting balls back out to her guard tandem of Celeste Edwards and Amber Deane. The battle between Edwards, the freshman, and Rooney, the redshirt senior, have been fun to watch. Edwards contributed her six points in the earlier part of the half as Dayton built an early lead that they couldn't hold.
Dayton seeks a stamp of validation in the next 20 minutes. They went unbeaten in the A-10 last year, only to lose in the Tournament Semis. They won the conference again this year at 14-2, but want the Tournament Title, and the NCAA Tournament bid that goes with it, in the worst way.
Fordham seeks to erase the heartbreak of losing in this very Championship Game as a #3 seed a year ago, 47-46 to St. Joseph's. They currently, in ESPN'S Women's Bracketology, are listed in the "Next Four Out" category. It seems only a win puts them in the Big Dance. They'll certainly play in the WNIT if they aren't able to accomplish that.
NOTE: St. Joseph's, though the #5 seed and eliminated in the Tournament Quarterfinals in overtime by George Washington, are currently listed by ESPN as being in the Field of 64 as a #10 seed (down from #9 yesterday) thanks to a very high Strength of Schedule (20) and RPI (17).
Dayton was moved up this morning from a projected #6 seed to a #5 seed. The Tournament field will be announced Monday, March 17th, 7pm on ESPN.
The Rams cut a six-point edge down to one by 10:15 left in the half, then hit back-to-back threes to take a small advantage. A missed opportunity on the final possession of the half by Fordham, where they ran their play, only to kick back to guard Erin Rooney at the point to face a half-court trap with eight seconds left, not giving them enough time to re-run the play before the horn, may be one that's remembered awhile for Rams fans.
Abigail Corning leads the Rams with 9 points, while Rooney has 5 points and 6 tenacious rebounds.
For Dayton, the physical trials of Ally Malott continue. She re-tweaked an ankle that was hurt in the VCU quarterfinal, and bled from an elbow late in the half after drawing a foul inside. She made one-of-two free throws and has 3 points and 5 rebounds.
Conference Player of the Year Andrea Hoover has lived to that billing, leading Dayton with 11 points and 5 rebounds, four of them on the offensive glass, where she makes a living batting balls back out to her guard tandem of Celeste Edwards and Amber Deane. The battle between Edwards, the freshman, and Rooney, the redshirt senior, have been fun to watch. Edwards contributed her six points in the earlier part of the half as Dayton built an early lead that they couldn't hold.
Dayton seeks a stamp of validation in the next 20 minutes. They went unbeaten in the A-10 last year, only to lose in the Tournament Semis. They won the conference again this year at 14-2, but want the Tournament Title, and the NCAA Tournament bid that goes with it, in the worst way.
Fordham seeks to erase the heartbreak of losing in this very Championship Game as a #3 seed a year ago, 47-46 to St. Joseph's. They currently, in ESPN'S Women's Bracketology, are listed in the "Next Four Out" category. It seems only a win puts them in the Big Dance. They'll certainly play in the WNIT if they aren't able to accomplish that.
NOTE: St. Joseph's, though the #5 seed and eliminated in the Tournament Quarterfinals in overtime by George Washington, are currently listed by ESPN as being in the Field of 64 as a #10 seed (down from #9 yesterday) thanks to a very high Strength of Schedule (20) and RPI (17).
Dayton was moved up this morning from a projected #6 seed to a #5 seed. The Tournament field will be announced Monday, March 17th, 7pm on ESPN.
CHAMPIONSHIP PRIMER: #1 Dayton vs. #3 Fordham
#1 Seed: Dayton:
--two-time defending Atlantic 10 regular season champions
--defeated VCU in quarterfinals 62-61, George Washington in semifinals 89-68
--23-6 record overall
--combined 30-2 regular season league record past two seasons
--1-3 all-time in Atlantic 10 Tournament vs. Fordham
--won 3rd A-10 Tournament title in school history in 2012 over St. Bonaventure 56-53...
#3 Seed: Fordham:
--seeking first Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship
--lost 2013 Tournament Final, 47-46 to St. Joseph's
--St. Joseph's was a #4 seed, Fordham a #3 seed last year as well
--had only won five tournament games all-time as a program before coming to Richmond this week
--back-to-back seasons in semis and finals; first two appearances in either for program
NOTE: Watch today's game on ESPNU, tipoff just after 11AM EDT (did you set your clocks up last night?)
--two-time defending Atlantic 10 regular season champions
--defeated VCU in quarterfinals 62-61, George Washington in semifinals 89-68
--23-6 record overall
--combined 30-2 regular season league record past two seasons
--1-3 all-time in Atlantic 10 Tournament vs. Fordham
--won 3rd A-10 Tournament title in school history in 2012 over St. Bonaventure 56-53...
#3 Seed: Fordham:
--seeking first Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship
--lost 2013 Tournament Final, 47-46 to St. Joseph's
--St. Joseph's was a #4 seed, Fordham a #3 seed last year as well
--had only won five tournament games all-time as a program before coming to Richmond this week
--back-to-back seasons in semis and finals; first two appearances in either for program
NOTE: Watch today's game on ESPNU, tipoff just after 11AM EDT (did you set your clocks up last night?)
Saturday, March 8, 2014
SEMIFINAL #2: #3 Fordham 73, #2 St. Bonaventure 32....
"I wish this wasn't real....I wish this game wasn't real...."
The words of Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, St. Bonaventure's Jim Crowley after his team's emotional time in Richmond came to a painful end with a 73-32 loss to Fordham in the Tournament Semifinals at the Richmond Coliseum.
As for the game, it was simply, at its root, a matter of making shots versus missing them. St. Bonaventure set the A-10 Tournament record for fewest points in a game (32), fewest field goals made (9), and the lowest field goal shooting percentage (16.7% on 9-of-54 from the field).
But more than that, the Bonnies had to deal with so much more than just five opponents on a basketball court, continuing to deal with the tragic loss of Assistant Sports Information Director Brian Moretti, who collapsed and passed away of cardiac arrest after arriving in Richmond on Wednesday night at only 25 years of age.
"Everyone grieves differently, but we do grieve as a family," Crowley noted with purpose, paying tribute to his team for their effort in the second half, where Fordham only had a 35-28 advantage. He said he didn't look ahead as to how to help the team forget this game and prepare them for a likely appearance in the WNIT, choosing to begin that process following the contest.
For Fordham, it, too, was a strange experience. They shot 57.7% from the floor, 13-of-22 from three-point range (their best performance beyond the arc this season). Subs who played liberally in the second half had hot hands. So, for head coach Stephanie Gaitley, it was also a unique halftime period.
"I told the kids, it's 0-0. I had to, because if I let up, they let up, and we've had some games this year where we had good leads at halftime and we did let up some," Gaitley explained.
Hannah Missry launched the Rams' offensive assault with four quick treys in the opening minutes as the lead built to 19-2 in just seven minutes. Many games begin like that, with the team behind launching a comeback of some sort. St. Bonaventure tried, but the shots simply wouldn't fall. With 4:08 left in the first half, they were shooting five percent (1-of-20) from the field. Two and a half minutes later, the score was 33-2.
Missry led the Rams with 18 points while Erin Rooney scored her 10 points in the first half. Katie Healy led St. Bonaventure with 12 points, 10 after intermission. The lead grew to as many as 49 at 67-18 with 4:30 to go before the Bonnies (23-10) finished on a 14-6 run.
The attention now turns to the Championship Game, where Fordham played a year ago, had the lead, but fell in heartbreaking fashion to St. Joseph's 47-46. This year they face Dayton, the #1 seed, a team Gaitley has never beaten in her time at Fordham.
"Abigail (Corning) told me last night after the game (quarterfinal win over Duquesne) that that was her first win over Duquesne. We were 1-7 against St. Bonaventure before today. So maybe the stars are aligned."
We'll find out Sunday at 11AM.
The words of Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, St. Bonaventure's Jim Crowley after his team's emotional time in Richmond came to a painful end with a 73-32 loss to Fordham in the Tournament Semifinals at the Richmond Coliseum.
As for the game, it was simply, at its root, a matter of making shots versus missing them. St. Bonaventure set the A-10 Tournament record for fewest points in a game (32), fewest field goals made (9), and the lowest field goal shooting percentage (16.7% on 9-of-54 from the field).
But more than that, the Bonnies had to deal with so much more than just five opponents on a basketball court, continuing to deal with the tragic loss of Assistant Sports Information Director Brian Moretti, who collapsed and passed away of cardiac arrest after arriving in Richmond on Wednesday night at only 25 years of age.
"Everyone grieves differently, but we do grieve as a family," Crowley noted with purpose, paying tribute to his team for their effort in the second half, where Fordham only had a 35-28 advantage. He said he didn't look ahead as to how to help the team forget this game and prepare them for a likely appearance in the WNIT, choosing to begin that process following the contest.
For Fordham, it, too, was a strange experience. They shot 57.7% from the floor, 13-of-22 from three-point range (their best performance beyond the arc this season). Subs who played liberally in the second half had hot hands. So, for head coach Stephanie Gaitley, it was also a unique halftime period.
"I told the kids, it's 0-0. I had to, because if I let up, they let up, and we've had some games this year where we had good leads at halftime and we did let up some," Gaitley explained.
Hannah Missry launched the Rams' offensive assault with four quick treys in the opening minutes as the lead built to 19-2 in just seven minutes. Many games begin like that, with the team behind launching a comeback of some sort. St. Bonaventure tried, but the shots simply wouldn't fall. With 4:08 left in the first half, they were shooting five percent (1-of-20) from the field. Two and a half minutes later, the score was 33-2.
Missry led the Rams with 18 points while Erin Rooney scored her 10 points in the first half. Katie Healy led St. Bonaventure with 12 points, 10 after intermission. The lead grew to as many as 49 at 67-18 with 4:30 to go before the Bonnies (23-10) finished on a 14-6 run.
The attention now turns to the Championship Game, where Fordham played a year ago, had the lead, but fell in heartbreaking fashion to St. Joseph's 47-46. This year they face Dayton, the #1 seed, a team Gaitley has never beaten in her time at Fordham.
"Abigail (Corning) told me last night after the game (quarterfinal win over Duquesne) that that was her first win over Duquesne. We were 1-7 against St. Bonaventure before today. So maybe the stars are aligned."
We'll find out Sunday at 11AM.
SEMIFINALS UPDATE: #3 Fordham 38, #2 St. Bonaventure 4...
An inexplicable 20 minutes of basketball by the second-seeded Bonnies, who literally could not get the ball in the basket, shooting 2-of-25 from the field, just eight percent.
Inside, outside, didn't matter.
Meanwhile, Hannah Missry hit four early three-pointers to help Fordham start building their lead. She leads the Rams with those 12 points, followed by Erin Rooney with 10.
It's impossible to know how the Bonnies are faring emotionally after the tragic loss of the Assistant Sports Information Director Brian Moretti Wednesday night here in Richmond of cardiac arrest at just 25 years of age. His primary responsibility was taking care of the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team.
These are unique, sad circumstances, in which the outcome of a game, in the larger picture, seems not to matter much. Expect the Bonnies to play from the heart in the second half, as their season is expected to continue in the WNIT even with a loss today.
Inside, outside, didn't matter.
Meanwhile, Hannah Missry hit four early three-pointers to help Fordham start building their lead. She leads the Rams with those 12 points, followed by Erin Rooney with 10.
It's impossible to know how the Bonnies are faring emotionally after the tragic loss of the Assistant Sports Information Director Brian Moretti Wednesday night here in Richmond of cardiac arrest at just 25 years of age. His primary responsibility was taking care of the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team.
These are unique, sad circumstances, in which the outcome of a game, in the larger picture, seems not to matter much. Expect the Bonnies to play from the heart in the second half, as their season is expected to continue in the WNIT even with a loss today.
SEMIFINAL #1: #1 Dayton 89, #4 George Washington 68...
"George Washington punched us in the mouth last Saturday," Dayton head coach Jim Jabir said. It was his mission to ensure his Dayton Flyers counterpunched.
Boy, did they ever.
Disrupting the offensive rhythm of the Colonials and their inside star, Jonquel Jones, while improving their perimeter and inside shooting as the game progressed, Dayton ran away from George Washington for an 89-68 win to advance to Sunday's Atlantic 10 Women's Tournament Championship.
"They added an element of physicality to their game. There were no easy cuts. We just couldn't get going," said George Washington head coach Jonathan Tsipis.
After hitting two from outside, the Colonials went ice cold in a stretch of a first half which saw them finish at 18.2% shooting (6-for-33). Add to that Dayton's ability to take away George Washington's usual strength of an advantage in rebounding, and it was a recipe for a Flyers' masterpiece.
Inside, Ally Malott had 19 points, 9 rebounds, six of them offensive. Cassie Sant added 10 points and keyed the disruption of Jones, held to just 6 points after scoring 22, mostly inside, in the Colonials' 88-79 win over Dayton last Saturday.
"That was the best defensive performance Cassie Sant has ever had, and that's not hyperbole," Jabir said.
"Credit to my teammates. The guards were doing their work, helping us out, too," Sant noted.
George Washington improves from 14-16 last year, losing in the A-10 Quarterfinals to Dayton to 21-10, a Semifinalist, and a likely participant in the upcoming WNIT. Tsipis is ready for the challenge and the reward of the postseason, something not seen in GW land for quite some time.
Dayton improves to 23-6 and awaits the winner of Fordham/St. Bonaventure in tomorrow's 11AM Championship Game to be televised on ESPNU.
Boy, did they ever.
Disrupting the offensive rhythm of the Colonials and their inside star, Jonquel Jones, while improving their perimeter and inside shooting as the game progressed, Dayton ran away from George Washington for an 89-68 win to advance to Sunday's Atlantic 10 Women's Tournament Championship.
"They added an element of physicality to their game. There were no easy cuts. We just couldn't get going," said George Washington head coach Jonathan Tsipis.
After hitting two from outside, the Colonials went ice cold in a stretch of a first half which saw them finish at 18.2% shooting (6-for-33). Add to that Dayton's ability to take away George Washington's usual strength of an advantage in rebounding, and it was a recipe for a Flyers' masterpiece.
Inside, Ally Malott had 19 points, 9 rebounds, six of them offensive. Cassie Sant added 10 points and keyed the disruption of Jones, held to just 6 points after scoring 22, mostly inside, in the Colonials' 88-79 win over Dayton last Saturday.
"That was the best defensive performance Cassie Sant has ever had, and that's not hyperbole," Jabir said.
"Credit to my teammates. The guards were doing their work, helping us out, too," Sant noted.
George Washington improves from 14-16 last year, losing in the A-10 Quarterfinals to Dayton to 21-10, a Semifinalist, and a likely participant in the upcoming WNIT. Tsipis is ready for the challenge and the reward of the postseason, something not seen in GW land for quite some time.
Dayton improves to 23-6 and awaits the winner of Fordham/St. Bonaventure in tomorrow's 11AM Championship Game to be televised on ESPNU.
SEMIFINAL UPDATE: #1 Dayton 39, #4 George Washington 25....AT THE HALF
George Washington's shooting is matching the frigid temperatures inside the Richmond Coliseum.
The Colonials matched Dayton briefly point for point in the opening three minutes, but fell behind, missing 10 consecutive shots at one stretch, and finishing 6-for-33 (18.2%) from the floor in the first half.
Inside forces Jonquel Jones and Caira Washington each have two fouls. Danni Jackson leads GW with 11 points, while all 8 of Hannah Schaible's points have come at the free throw line. She's helped keep her team alive with drives and offensive rebounds, extending possessions.
Ally Malott has continued her strong play from yesterday's second half against VCU, leading the top-seeded Flyers with 12 points and 7 rebounds, despite tweaking her ankle with 3:42 to play. She left briefly, but did return before the half. A-10 Player of the Year Andrea Hoover has 9.
Dayton lost in the semis of last year's tournament after an undefeated regular season. They're 20 minutes away from clearing that hurdle, and punching a ticket to Sunday's title game.
The Colonials matched Dayton briefly point for point in the opening three minutes, but fell behind, missing 10 consecutive shots at one stretch, and finishing 6-for-33 (18.2%) from the floor in the first half.
Inside forces Jonquel Jones and Caira Washington each have two fouls. Danni Jackson leads GW with 11 points, while all 8 of Hannah Schaible's points have come at the free throw line. She's helped keep her team alive with drives and offensive rebounds, extending possessions.
Ally Malott has continued her strong play from yesterday's second half against VCU, leading the top-seeded Flyers with 12 points and 7 rebounds, despite tweaking her ankle with 3:42 to play. She left briefly, but did return before the half. A-10 Player of the Year Andrea Hoover has 9.
Dayton lost in the semis of last year's tournament after an undefeated regular season. They're 20 minutes away from clearing that hurdle, and punching a ticket to Sunday's title game.
IT'S SEMIFINAL SATURDAY!!
The top four seeds have survived, some literally, to fight today for a berth in the 2014 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Game.
Game one at just after 11AM ET features two-time defending regular season champion, and #1 seed, Dayton, who trailed VCU for 39 minutes yesterday, leading in the first minute and the final seconds for a 62-61 win. They must face the last team to beat them, #4 seed George Washington. The Colonials knocked off the Flyers 88-79 a week ago today in the regular season finale for both teams.
Look for Jonquel Jones to have a busy day down low for GW. The Colonials' leading scorer at 15.3 points per game will have to deal with the "Tall Trees of Dayton", as the Flyers rotate three players at 6'3" and taller, plus have two more on the bench at the ready.
One of them, Ally Malott, had a monster second half Friday sparking the Flyers' comeback, coupled with the outside floor general work of freshman guard Celeste Edwards.
Then, at approximately 1:30, the #2 and #3 seeds will do battle as St. Bonaventure takes on Fordham. Both teams are coming off grinding, low-scoring victories, as the Bonnies eliminated La Salle 54-42 while the Rams outlasted the Duquesne Dukes, 45-41.
In their lone meeting of the season, St. Bonaventure defeated Fordham 74-67 in Olean, New York five weeks ago on February 1st.
NOTE: Games can be seen LIVE on CBS Sports Network, FiOS 94, Comcast 854 (HD), DirecTV 221.
Game one at just after 11AM ET features two-time defending regular season champion, and #1 seed, Dayton, who trailed VCU for 39 minutes yesterday, leading in the first minute and the final seconds for a 62-61 win. They must face the last team to beat them, #4 seed George Washington. The Colonials knocked off the Flyers 88-79 a week ago today in the regular season finale for both teams.
Look for Jonquel Jones to have a busy day down low for GW. The Colonials' leading scorer at 15.3 points per game will have to deal with the "Tall Trees of Dayton", as the Flyers rotate three players at 6'3" and taller, plus have two more on the bench at the ready.
One of them, Ally Malott, had a monster second half Friday sparking the Flyers' comeback, coupled with the outside floor general work of freshman guard Celeste Edwards.
Then, at approximately 1:30, the #2 and #3 seeds will do battle as St. Bonaventure takes on Fordham. Both teams are coming off grinding, low-scoring victories, as the Bonnies eliminated La Salle 54-42 while the Rams outlasted the Duquesne Dukes, 45-41.
In their lone meeting of the season, St. Bonaventure defeated Fordham 74-67 in Olean, New York five weeks ago on February 1st.
NOTE: Games can be seen LIVE on CBS Sports Network, FiOS 94, Comcast 854 (HD), DirecTV 221.
Friday, March 7, 2014
SEMIFINAL SATURDAY SET....
SEMIFINALS:
#1 Dayton vs. #4 George Washington, 11AM
#2 St. Bonaventure vs. #3 Fordham, 1:30PM
Tickets available at the Richmond Coliseum box office! Games can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
#1 Dayton vs. #4 George Washington, 11AM
#2 St. Bonaventure vs. #3 Fordham, 1:30PM
Tickets available at the Richmond Coliseum box office! Games can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
QUARTERFINALS FINAL: Fordham moves on....
The Rams survive a low-scoring affair to eliminate #6 seed Duquesne 45-41 in the last quarterfinal of the Atlantic 10 Women's Tournament.
QUARTERFINAL FINAL: #2 St. Bonaventure 54, #7 La Salle 42
It took both teams awhile to get started offensively, and it took nearly the entire game for the second-seed to pull away from the seventh.
A 9-0 run in the latter stages of the second half turned a four-point margin into a 13-point bulge, and the Bonnies go on to defeat the Explorers 54-42.
St. Bonaventure is now 23-9, and advance to play the winner of the last quarterfinal between Fordham and Duquesne in the 1:30pm Tournament Semifinal on Saturday.
A 9-0 run in the latter stages of the second half turned a four-point margin into a 13-point bulge, and the Bonnies go on to defeat the Explorers 54-42.
St. Bonaventure is now 23-9, and advance to play the winner of the last quarterfinal between Fordham and Duquesne in the 1:30pm Tournament Semifinal on Saturday.
QUARTERFINAL: #4 George Washington 82, #5 St. Joseph's 79 (OT)
Jonquel Jones had 30 points, 6 in overtime, and 16 rebounds, while Danni Jackson added 17 and picked up the slack after an injury to Chakecia Miller in the second half, and George Washington survived an almost buzzer-beater from Erin Shields and two Shields' tries to tie the game at the end of overtime as the Colonials defeated the defending tournament champions, 82-79.
The Colonials rode timely shooting, in both the second half and in the extra session, including key three-pointers from Megan Nipe, who also had 17, to withstand numerous attempts by the Hawks to complete the comeback. After being down by three at intermission, George Washington led much of the second half.
"We stole games at each other's places, so we knew this would be a tooth and nail game. I'm so proud of how our team responded. It was about responding: by a stop, by a rebound, at the free throw line," said George Washington head coach Jonathan Tsipis. "And overtime was played as we do; as a team we like to go at a faster pace."
The Colonials scored 19 in the extra session, as both teams found a new level of offense and energy in the extra session. A missed free throw by the Hawks with 9.8 seconds left seemed to doom their fate, but they battled for an offensive rebound and called timeout to set up a try for double overtime. Shields, whose 42-footer to win at the end of regulation bounced off the back of the rim, missed her first shot. Her second, coming just after the horn began to sound, was short.
"I couldn't ask for more from our team today. It came down to a couple of possessions," St. Joseph's head coach Cindy Griffin said.
When asked about her team's NCAA Tournament chances, she said she doesn't believe an overtime loss in a tournament quarterfinal against the caliber of opponent as George Washington should hurt you, but she knows it's also now out of the team's hands.
"With a strength of schedule at #20 and an RPI at #17, I think we have a great resume," Griffin noted.
St. Joseph's falls to 21-9 overall after finishing 10-6 in league play. They have non-conference wins over the likes of Temple and Villanova in Big 5 play. This morning, ESPN W's Bracketology had the Hawks as a #9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
George Washington, now 21-9, face top-seeded Dayton in Saturday's first semifinal at 11am. The Colonials beat Dayton, handing them just their second regular season A-10 loss in two years, last Saturday 88-79.
The Colonials rode timely shooting, in both the second half and in the extra session, including key three-pointers from Megan Nipe, who also had 17, to withstand numerous attempts by the Hawks to complete the comeback. After being down by three at intermission, George Washington led much of the second half.
"We stole games at each other's places, so we knew this would be a tooth and nail game. I'm so proud of how our team responded. It was about responding: by a stop, by a rebound, at the free throw line," said George Washington head coach Jonathan Tsipis. "And overtime was played as we do; as a team we like to go at a faster pace."
The Colonials scored 19 in the extra session, as both teams found a new level of offense and energy in the extra session. A missed free throw by the Hawks with 9.8 seconds left seemed to doom their fate, but they battled for an offensive rebound and called timeout to set up a try for double overtime. Shields, whose 42-footer to win at the end of regulation bounced off the back of the rim, missed her first shot. Her second, coming just after the horn began to sound, was short.
"I couldn't ask for more from our team today. It came down to a couple of possessions," St. Joseph's head coach Cindy Griffin said.
When asked about her team's NCAA Tournament chances, she said she doesn't believe an overtime loss in a tournament quarterfinal against the caliber of opponent as George Washington should hurt you, but she knows it's also now out of the team's hands.
"With a strength of schedule at #20 and an RPI at #17, I think we have a great resume," Griffin noted.
St. Joseph's falls to 21-9 overall after finishing 10-6 in league play. They have non-conference wins over the likes of Temple and Villanova in Big 5 play. This morning, ESPN W's Bracketology had the Hawks as a #9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
George Washington, now 21-9, face top-seeded Dayton in Saturday's first semifinal at 11am. The Colonials beat Dayton, handing them just their second regular season A-10 loss in two years, last Saturday 88-79.
QUARTERFINAL UPDATE: #5 St. Joseph's 33, #4 George Washington 30, HALF
The Hawks, battle tested as defending A-10 Tournament Champions, go on an 18-9 in the final 8:13 of the first half to take the intermission lead on an Erin Shields' three-pointer in the final 20 seconds, St. Joseph's first lead since the 15:19 mark.
Jonquel Jones leads all scorers with 14 points for George Washington, who beat top-seeded Dayton in their last game of the regular season last weekend, 88-79.
The winner of this game gets the Flyers, 62-61 survivors over #8 VCU in the opening quarterfinal, in the first semifinal Saturday at 11am.
NOTE: Semifinals at 11am and 1:30pm Saturday will air on CBS Sports Network (FiOS 94, Comcast HD 854, DirecTV 221, Dish Network 158.
Jonquel Jones leads all scorers with 14 points for George Washington, who beat top-seeded Dayton in their last game of the regular season last weekend, 88-79.
The winner of this game gets the Flyers, 62-61 survivors over #8 VCU in the opening quarterfinal, in the first semifinal Saturday at 11am.
NOTE: Semifinals at 11am and 1:30pm Saturday will air on CBS Sports Network (FiOS 94, Comcast HD 854, DirecTV 221, Dish Network 158.
QUARTERFINALS: SURVIVAL: #1 Dayton 62, #8 VCU 61.....
They led in the first minute, and in the last. And, in the end, that's all that matters.
#8 VCU had the top-seeded Dayton Flyers on the ropes all afternoon, but a steal, followed by a transition basket from freshman Celeste Edwards with six seconds left gave Dayton a 62-61 victory in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament.
Another freshman, VCU's Keira Robinson, was fouled at mid-court with 3.3 seconds left. After making the first, Dayton called timeout. Robinson's second shot veered to the left, landed in the Flyers' hands, and they ran out the clock.
"The timeout really didn't affect me. I should've made it," a dejected Robinson told reporters after the game.
"There were many plays that affected the outcome of the game, not just that one shot. If we make them, we're not in that position to have to make the free throw," noted VCU head coach Marlene Stollings.
Robyn Parks fought through the tall trees of Dayton to score 19 points and grab 16 rebounds. Robinson and Isis Thorpe added 10 each, Thorpe's all coming in the first half.
The Rams started off hot and, at one time, had an 18-point lead at 28-10. Dayton head coach Jim Jabir had seen this before.
"We saw them lose an 18-point lead just yesterday, so I told the team just to be level-headed."
"We just had to keep fighting," said Andrea Hoover, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year who finished with 15 points, playing the final seven plus minutes with four fouls. "Even when shots wouldn't fall, we trusted in Celeste running the point and in our teammates doing what we needed."
Hoover noted changing her aggressive defensive style while hampered with the fouls, until about two minutes left. Then she resumed her regular style.
Dayton's trapping, especially near mid-court, exposed what Stollings called a "lack of aggressiveness" by her team, not crisply passing or coming to the ball. That was a big part of why Dayton made their way back into the game.
But for a time, it looked like Dayton wouldn't get over the hump. In the final five minutes, there was a two-minute stretch where the Flyers went 3-of-7, missing two chances to tie the game at the line.
"We'll have to play better, play smarter tomorrow. We'll have to defend better tomorrow as well," Jabir said.
Another key for Dayton in the second half was 6' 4" junior forward Ally Malott. 14 of her team-high 19 points came after intermission.
VCU is now 22-9, and hope through the Coliseum following the heartbreaker was that the Rams might continue their season in the WNIT. Whether they do or not, Stollings is upbeat about the future.
"It's full speed ahead for year three, with all the players coming back and the recruiting class we have coming in as we try to become an elite team, a Top 25 team like the men have," Stollings proclaimed.
Dayton entered the day as a #6 seed in ESPN's NCAA Tournament Bracketology. They'll leave it simply breathing a sigh of relief.
(VCU freshman Keira Robinson working on the drive late second half against Dayton...)
(Dayton freshman Celeste Edwards driving during the Flyers' second half comeback...)
#8 VCU had the top-seeded Dayton Flyers on the ropes all afternoon, but a steal, followed by a transition basket from freshman Celeste Edwards with six seconds left gave Dayton a 62-61 victory in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament.
Another freshman, VCU's Keira Robinson, was fouled at mid-court with 3.3 seconds left. After making the first, Dayton called timeout. Robinson's second shot veered to the left, landed in the Flyers' hands, and they ran out the clock.
"The timeout really didn't affect me. I should've made it," a dejected Robinson told reporters after the game.
"There were many plays that affected the outcome of the game, not just that one shot. If we make them, we're not in that position to have to make the free throw," noted VCU head coach Marlene Stollings.
Robyn Parks fought through the tall trees of Dayton to score 19 points and grab 16 rebounds. Robinson and Isis Thorpe added 10 each, Thorpe's all coming in the first half.
The Rams started off hot and, at one time, had an 18-point lead at 28-10. Dayton head coach Jim Jabir had seen this before.
"We saw them lose an 18-point lead just yesterday, so I told the team just to be level-headed."
"We just had to keep fighting," said Andrea Hoover, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year who finished with 15 points, playing the final seven plus minutes with four fouls. "Even when shots wouldn't fall, we trusted in Celeste running the point and in our teammates doing what we needed."
Hoover noted changing her aggressive defensive style while hampered with the fouls, until about two minutes left. Then she resumed her regular style.
Dayton's trapping, especially near mid-court, exposed what Stollings called a "lack of aggressiveness" by her team, not crisply passing or coming to the ball. That was a big part of why Dayton made their way back into the game.
But for a time, it looked like Dayton wouldn't get over the hump. In the final five minutes, there was a two-minute stretch where the Flyers went 3-of-7, missing two chances to tie the game at the line.
"We'll have to play better, play smarter tomorrow. We'll have to defend better tomorrow as well," Jabir said.
Another key for Dayton in the second half was 6' 4" junior forward Ally Malott. 14 of her team-high 19 points came after intermission.
VCU is now 22-9, and hope through the Coliseum following the heartbreaker was that the Rams might continue their season in the WNIT. Whether they do or not, Stollings is upbeat about the future.
"It's full speed ahead for year three, with all the players coming back and the recruiting class we have coming in as we try to become an elite team, a Top 25 team like the men have," Stollings proclaimed.
Dayton entered the day as a #6 seed in ESPN's NCAA Tournament Bracketology. They'll leave it simply breathing a sigh of relief.
UPSET ALERT: #8 VCU leads #1 Dayton Start of Second Half...
Behind Isis Thorpe's 10 points and early hot three-point shooting, VCU has built a 36-24 lead on Dayton as the second half begins in the first quarterfinal of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament at the Richmond Coliseum...
Thursday, March 6, 2014
FIRST ROUND: Duquesne survives Rhode Island....
"It wasn't the prettiest game of basketball ever played," said Duquesne head coach Dan Burt. "But I thought we were the better team."
The Dukes defeated Rhode Island 61-53 to advance in the final first round game of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament Thursday night, as three players were in double figures, led by Olivia Bresnahan with 14.
It was Bresnahan that helped turn the game around for the Dukes, who spent much of the first half in a lethargic state, having trouble getting their inside game going due to Rhode Island, as Burt put it, "mucking up" the middle. While Olivia was only three-of-ten from the field, one of the baskets came during a 10-0 run in the final 3:24 of the half to turn a 27-21 deficit to a 31-27 lead.
"We were only 11 of 13 from the line, but they were all important," Burt added. "Liv went 8 of 9 at the line and they were very important points."
"Credit to Duquesne," said Rhode Island head coach Cathy Inglese. "But I was very, very proud of my team. They never quit. They didn't come here satisfied to be an 11 seed. I'm glad they're devastated, they're disappointed."
Senior guard Kerry Wallack was also proud, being that tonight's game was the first appearance for Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Previous tournaments did not have every team in the conference participating.
"For us to be a part of playing in the tournament, as a senior, that's such a big honor," Wallack said. Kerry had nine points. Sydney Lewis led Rhode Island (7-23) with 11 points.
Rhode Island was picked by A-10 coaches to finish #13 (last) in the conference. They finished 11th. They'll lose just Wallack from the active roster to graduation (fellow senior Emilie Cloutier was out for the season with an injury.) Like St. Louis, George Mason and UMass, the Rams will work hard in the off-season to try to return to the Richmond Coliseum in 2015 as the higher seed in the First Round, rather than the lower.
It's all a part of growth in the Atlantic 10.
As for Duquesne, now 19-11? They face Fordham in the 4th and final quarterfinal at 7:30pm Friday.
The Dukes defeated Rhode Island 61-53 to advance in the final first round game of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament Thursday night, as three players were in double figures, led by Olivia Bresnahan with 14.
It was Bresnahan that helped turn the game around for the Dukes, who spent much of the first half in a lethargic state, having trouble getting their inside game going due to Rhode Island, as Burt put it, "mucking up" the middle. While Olivia was only three-of-ten from the field, one of the baskets came during a 10-0 run in the final 3:24 of the half to turn a 27-21 deficit to a 31-27 lead.
"We were only 11 of 13 from the line, but they were all important," Burt added. "Liv went 8 of 9 at the line and they were very important points."
"Credit to Duquesne," said Rhode Island head coach Cathy Inglese. "But I was very, very proud of my team. They never quit. They didn't come here satisfied to be an 11 seed. I'm glad they're devastated, they're disappointed."
Senior guard Kerry Wallack was also proud, being that tonight's game was the first appearance for Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Previous tournaments did not have every team in the conference participating.
"For us to be a part of playing in the tournament, as a senior, that's such a big honor," Wallack said. Kerry had nine points. Sydney Lewis led Rhode Island (7-23) with 11 points.
Rhode Island was picked by A-10 coaches to finish #13 (last) in the conference. They finished 11th. They'll lose just Wallack from the active roster to graduation (fellow senior Emilie Cloutier was out for the season with an injury.) Like St. Louis, George Mason and UMass, the Rams will work hard in the off-season to try to return to the Richmond Coliseum in 2015 as the higher seed in the First Round, rather than the lower.
It's all a part of growth in the Atlantic 10.
As for Duquesne, now 19-11? They face Fordham in the 4th and final quarterfinal at 7:30pm Friday.
FIRST ROUND: #6 Duquesne 61, #11 Rhode Island 53....and Quarterfinal Lineup!
The brackets hold to form after Day 2 of the 2014 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament.
QUARTERFINAL FRIDAY:
#1 Dayton vs. #8 VCU, 12pm
#4 George Washington vs. #5 St. Joseph's, 2:30pm
#2 St. Bonaventure vs. #7 La Salle, 5pm
#3 Fordham vs. #6 Duquesne, 7:30pm
QUARTERFINAL FRIDAY:
#1 Dayton vs. #8 VCU, 12pm
#4 George Washington vs. #5 St. Joseph's, 2:30pm
#2 St. Bonaventure vs. #7 La Salle, 5pm
#3 Fordham vs. #6 Duquesne, 7:30pm
FIRST ROUND UPDATE: #6 Duquesne 31, #11 Rhode Island 27, HALF
The Dukes looked like two different teams in the first half. Struggling to assert themselves inside and missing some outside shots by wide margins, the upset-minded Rams took an 18-11 edge midway through the first half.
But someone woke up Duquesne in the final three and a half minutes, beginning with four points in four seconds after a basket, steal on the inbounds pass, and subsquent basket to tie the game at 27. That came in the midst of a 10-0 Dukes run to end the half, giving them the 31-27 lead.
Rhode Island's earlier open lanes to the basket became glued shut, as the Rams missed their last three shots of the half, unable to counteract the run. While April Robinson and Raegan Moore lead Duquesne with 8 points each, it was the play of Olivia Bresnahan during the run that gave the Dukes the much-needed spark.
Three Rhode Island players have six points: Tayra Melendez, Kerry Wallack and Sydney Lewis, who has two personal fouls.
These two teams played last Saturday in Rhode Island, the Rams falling by just three. But what looked to be a trap game early for an out-of-sync Dukes squad is now firmly in their grasp with 20 minutes to play.
The winner meets #3 seeded Fordham tomorrow night in the 7:30pm quarterfinal at the Richmond Coliseum.
But someone woke up Duquesne in the final three and a half minutes, beginning with four points in four seconds after a basket, steal on the inbounds pass, and subsquent basket to tie the game at 27. That came in the midst of a 10-0 Dukes run to end the half, giving them the 31-27 lead.
Rhode Island's earlier open lanes to the basket became glued shut, as the Rams missed their last three shots of the half, unable to counteract the run. While April Robinson and Raegan Moore lead Duquesne with 8 points each, it was the play of Olivia Bresnahan during the run that gave the Dukes the much-needed spark.
Three Rhode Island players have six points: Tayra Melendez, Kerry Wallack and Sydney Lewis, who has two personal fouls.
These two teams played last Saturday in Rhode Island, the Rams falling by just three. But what looked to be a trap game early for an out-of-sync Dukes squad is now firmly in their grasp with 20 minutes to play.
The winner meets #3 seeded Fordham tomorrow night in the 7:30pm quarterfinal at the Richmond Coliseum.
FIRST ROUND FINAL: #7 La Salle 65, #10 St. Louis 56....
The Explorers got revenge for a 53-43 loss in St. Louis during the regular season, limiting the Billikens trips to the free throw line as St. Louis struggled all night from the floor, with a 65-56 victory in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament.
Micahya Owens scored 23 points, Alicia Cropper added 20 while Leeza Burdgess had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds as the Explorers advanced to take on #2 St. Bonaventure in the Friday 5pm quarterfinal.
Cropper quickly responded when asked about the difference in the two games between the squads.
"Free throws. We gave up too many in that game," Cropper noted. St. Louis went 20-for-31 at the line in the regular season win, a game where both teams shot under 30 percent.
Tonight, the Billikens remained cold, shooting 33.8% while La Salle shot 40 percent.
"I thought we'd shoot better, but we didn't," said St. Louis head coach Kim Stone. "We just didn't have it today. But I told the girls that one game does not make a season, and we are a team on the rise." The Billikens (12-18), only lose one player to graduation and bring in one of the most highly touted recruiting classes in St. Louis history.
"It feels like December to be honest," Stone noted. "Many teams circle the calendar this time of year and say 'we're done'. This team didn't. They're ready to go to practice tomorrow. I love coaching this team."
The Explorers split their regular season meetings with the Bonnies, including a six-point win over St. Bonaventure last Saturday in their regular season finale.
Micahya Owens scored 23 points, Alicia Cropper added 20 while Leeza Burdgess had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds as the Explorers advanced to take on #2 St. Bonaventure in the Friday 5pm quarterfinal.
Cropper quickly responded when asked about the difference in the two games between the squads.
"Free throws. We gave up too many in that game," Cropper noted. St. Louis went 20-for-31 at the line in the regular season win, a game where both teams shot under 30 percent.
Tonight, the Billikens remained cold, shooting 33.8% while La Salle shot 40 percent.
"I thought we'd shoot better, but we didn't," said St. Louis head coach Kim Stone. "We just didn't have it today. But I told the girls that one game does not make a season, and we are a team on the rise." The Billikens (12-18), only lose one player to graduation and bring in one of the most highly touted recruiting classes in St. Louis history.
"It feels like December to be honest," Stone noted. "Many teams circle the calendar this time of year and say 'we're done'. This team didn't. They're ready to go to practice tomorrow. I love coaching this team."
The Explorers split their regular season meetings with the Bonnies, including a six-point win over St. Bonaventure last Saturday in their regular season finale.
FIRST ROUND UPDATE: #7 La Salle 35, #10 St. Louis 24 at Half...
Micahya Owens, just a freshman, equals her season average with 13 points by intermission to help the Explorers takes an 11-point lead. Leading scorer Alicia Cropper has 9 for La Salle, while Denisha Womack leads St. Louis with 7 points.
(Jasmine Alston with 7 points so far for the La Salle Explorers in First Round action...)
The winner takes on #2 St. Bonaventure in a quarterfinal matchup at 5pm Friday at the Richmond Coliseum as the 2014 Atlantic 10 Women's Tournament continues!
The winner takes on #2 St. Bonaventure in a quarterfinal matchup at 5pm Friday at the Richmond Coliseum as the 2014 Atlantic 10 Women's Tournament continues!
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