VCU FALLS TO DELAWARE IN CAA QUARTERFINALS, 79-58
3-9-07
Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – Freshman D’Andra Moss (Atlanta, Ga./Norcross) (pictured) scored 13 points, but proved to be one of the few bright spots for sixth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth University in its loss to host and third-seeded Delaware, 79-58, Friday in the Quarterfinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament at the Bob Carpenter Center.

VCU’s season is complete at 17-13. Delaware (26-4) has won six straight and advances to play the winner of the James Madison/UNC Wilmington in Saturday’s semi-finals.

Moss, a 6-0 guard, came off the bench to hit 4-of-6 shots, including 2-of-3 3-pointers, in 30 minutes. She also grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists. The Rams also got 11 points and five rebounds from junior forward Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern).

The Blue Hens were led by the CAA’s leading scorer, Tyresa Smith, who pumped in a game-high 22 points, including 10-of-10 shooting from the free throw line. Chrissy Fisher added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Delaware jumped on the Rams early and often, forcing 16 VCU first-half turnovers while limiting the Black and Gold to just six field goals (6-of-23) on the way to a 42-22 halftime lead.

The Blue Hens out rebounded VCU in the game, 40-35 and shot 49 percent (29-of-57) from the field, compared to 33 percent (17-of-52) for the Rams. The Black and Gold tied a season-low with 17 field goals in the game.

Friday marked the final game in the careers of VCU seniors Michele Cosel ( Mechanicsville, Va/Atlee) and Miranda Smith ( Chesapeake, Va./ Indian River). Cosel scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds Friday and finishes her career fourth on the Rams’ all-time 3-point field goal list with 131. She also ranks 22 nd in career scoring with 766 points and is tied for second in school history in games played with 114. Smith has been sidelined with a stomach virus and did not dress for either CAA Tournament contest.

Meanwhile, VCU will look ahead to 2007-08 with great promise. The Rams, who improved by four wins this season, return 10 scholarship players, including four of its top five scorers. Included in that mix are All-CAA Second Team selections Vaughn and sophomore Quanitra Hollingsworth ( Chesapeake, Va./ Great Bridge).

HOLLINGSWORTH MUSCLES VCU INTO CAA QUARTERFINALS, 74-58
3-8-07
Box Score


NEWARK , Del. – Virginia Commonwealth University sophomore Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./ Great Bridge) (pictured) produced game-highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds to spark the Rams to a 74-58, wire-to-wire victory over Northeastern in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Thursday at the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center.

The win sends sixth-seeded VCU into a quarterfinal match-up with host and third-seeded Delaware Friday at 5 p.m.

The win is the Rams’ sixth in seven games, improving it to 17-12 on the season. It is also their second victory over the Huskies this season. Northeastern finishes 4-26.

Hollingsworth, a 6-5 center, booked her 11 th double-double of the season and the 25 th of her career. She knocked down 6-of-10 shots from the floor and hit 5-of-6 free throws for the Black and Gold. She also blocked the 100 th shot of her career in the first half. Hollingsworth is the fourth player in school history to reach that milestone.

Junior forward Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) kicked in 14 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Brittany Pinkney (Lenoir, N.C./The Patterson School) added 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

Shaleyse Smallwood led the Huskies with 16 points, while Lucia Pablos contributed 15 points and seven rebounds.

Vaughn and Hollingsworth, the Rams’ starting post players, dominated in the paint to help secure VCU a 46-36 edge on the boards. The Black and Gold also outscored Northeastern in the paint, 36-24 and limited NU to 30 percent (19-of-63) shooting from the field.

“I was pleased with our effort tonight,” VCU Coach Beth Cunningham said. “I think the keys to our success are defense and rebounding, and I thought we did a better job then the last time we played them.” The Rams got out of the gate early, using four Vaughn points and a 3-pointer from senior guard Michele Cosel (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) to take a 9-0 lead in the game’s first four minutes.

VCU pushed the lead to as many as 13 in the first half, only to see the Huskies string together a 9-0 burst to cut the margin to 29-25 with 1:41 showing.

But the Rams went to a full-court press, forcing four straight turnovers to spark a 6-0 spurt to close the half and carry a 35-25 edge into the locker room.

HOLLINGSWORTH, VAUGHN NAB ALL-CAA HONORS
3-7-07

NEWARK, Del. – Virginia Commonwealth University sophomore Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./ Great Bridge) and junior Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) (pictured) each received Second Team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors at the league’s pre-CAA Tournament Banquet Thursday.

Hollingsworth and Vaughn are the first VCU duo since Kristine Austgulen and Rochelle Luckett in 2002 to land All-CAA honors in the same season.

It is the second straight citation for Hollingsworth, who earned a spot on third team last year, in addition to her Rookie of the Year and all-defensive team nods.

This season, Hollingsworth, a 6-5 center, is second on the Rams in scoring at 13.9 points per game. She ranks second in the CAA in rebounding (9.5), third in field goal percentage (.534) and is fourth in blocked shots (1.3). Hollingsworth has recorded 10 double-doubles this year and has 24 for her career, third in school history.

Vaughn, a 6-1 forward, has emerged as one of the CAA’s top pure scorers, pouring in 15.9 points per game, seventh in the league. She has registered seven 20-point games, including a career-high 26 against James Madison Dec. 3, as well as three double-doubles. Vaughn also pulled down 6.8 rebounds per game and shot .475 from the field, fifth-best in the CAA.

Meredith Alexis of James Madison was named the 2006-07 CAA Player of the Year, and was joined on first team by teammate Tamera Young, T.J. Jordan of Old Dominion, Kyra Kaylor of William & Mary and Tyresa Smith of Delaware.

Joining Vaughn and Hollingsworth on second team were Vanessa Gidden and Cigi McCollin of Hofstra and Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen of Georgia State.

Additionally, junior guard Vera Chistova ( St. Petersburg, Russia/ St. Petersburg #86) was named to the CAA’s All-Academic First Team for the second consecutive year.

Sixth-seeded VCU will meet 11 th-seeded Northeastern in the first round of the 2007 CAA Tournament on Thursday, March 8 at 5 p.m. at the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center.

2006-07 CAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AWARD WINNERS

ALL-CAA FIRST TEAM
Meredith Alexis, James Madison Sr. C 6-3 Hanover Township, Pa./Bishop Hoban
T.J. Jordan, Old Dominion Jr. G 5-8 Portsmouth, Va./ Wilson
Kyra Kaylor, William & Mary Jr. F 6-0 Pittsburgh, Pa./ Upper St. Clair
Tyresa Smtih , Delaware Sr. G 5-10 Dover , Del. /Polytech
Tamera Young, James Madison Jr. G/F 6-2 Wilmington, N.C./Laney

ALL-CAA SECOND TEAM
Vanessa Gidden, Hofstra Sr. C 6-3 Stamford, Conn./ Stamford
Quanitra Hollingsworth, VCU So. C 6-5 Chesapeake, Va./ Great Bridge
Cigi McCollin, Hofstra Sr. G 5-7 Long Island City, N.Y./Christ the King
Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen , Georgia State Sr. G 5-8 St. Petersburg, Fla./Boca Ciega
Krystal Vaughn, VCU Jr. F 6-1 Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern

ALL-CAA THIRD TEAM
Andrea Benvenuto, James Madison Sr. G 5-7 Ancaster, Ontario/St. Mary’s
Lori Drake, UNC Wilmington Sr. G 5-10 Brookneal, Va./William Campbell/Seward County
Chrissy Fisher, Delaware Sr. F 6-0 Rumson, N.J./Fair Haven/Maryland
Gabriela Marginean, Drexel Fr. F 6-1 Cluj-Napona, Romania/Mt. de Chantal Acad.
Shaleyse Smallwood, Northeastern Jr. G 5-5 Boston, MA/O'Bryant

2007 CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Meredith Alexis, James Madison
2007 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR: Kenny Brooks, James Madison
2007 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Gabriela Marginean, Drexel
2007 CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tyresa Smtih, Delaware

2007 DEAN EHLERS LEADERSHIP AWARD: Lesley Dickinson, James Madison

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown/Previous School
Shanae Baker-Brice, Towson Fr. G 5-6 Washington, D.C./Theodore Roosevelt
Tiffany Benson, William & Mary Fr. F 6-1 Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne
Sam Brigham, Hofstra Fr. G 5-10 Simsbury, Conn./ Simsbury
Tabitha David, Georgia State Fr. G/F 5-10 Mableton, Ga./Pebblebrook
Gabriela Marginean, Drexel Fr. F 6-1 Cluj-Napona, Romania/Mt. de Chantal Acad.

All-Defensive Team
Kyle DeHaven, Delaware Jr. G 5-9 Herndon, Va./Herndon/William & Mary
Marcquitta Head , Georgia State So. C 6-3 Conley, Ga./ Forest Park
Brittany Hollins, Georgia State So. G 5-9 Columbia, S.C./Columbia
Shirley McCall, James Madison Sr. G/F 5-10 Collinsville, Va./Bassett
Tyresa Smtih , Delaware Sr. G 5-10 Dover, Del./Polytech

All-Academic First Team
Vera Chistova, VCU Jr. G 5-10 St. Petersburg, Russia/ St. Petersburg
Anna Karlsson, Drexel Jr. F 6-1 Madrid, Spain/ Int’l College of Spain
Lizanne Murphy, Hofstra Sr. F 6-1 Beaconsfield, Quebec, Canada/ Dawson
Megan Pym, Old Dominion Jr. F/C 6-4 Newfield, N.Y./Newfield
Sarah Stroh, William & Mary Sr. G 5-8 Mission, British Columbia/ Heritage Park
Nicole Williams, Hofstra So. G 5-6 Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle

All-Academic Second Team
Andrea Benvenuto, James Madison Sr. G 5-7 Ancaster, Ontario/St. Mary’s
Lesley Dickinson, James Madison Sr. G 5-10 Queens Village, N.Y./Christ the King
Kira Karlstrom, Drexel Sr. G 5-4 Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston
Letitia Lyons, Old Dominion Sr. F 5-10 Newport News, Va./Woodside
Jen Nuzzo, Old Dominion So. G 5-8 Newport News, Va./Woodside


All-Academic Honorable Mention
Christina Biedny, Hofstra So. C 6-5 East Amherst, N.Y./Clarence
Jennifer Brown, James Madison Jr. F 6-2 Brooklyn, N.Y./Martin Luther King/Pittsburgh
Jody Burrows , Northeastern Sr. G 5-6 Corry, PA/Corry
Harmonie Calinda, Hofstra So. F 6-0 Huntington, N.Y./John Glenn/Seton Hall
Stephanie Fernald, UNC Wilmington Jr. G 5-8 Midlothian, Va./ Midlothian
Kelly Golden, Drexel So. G 5-9 Doylestown, Pa./The Hill School
Lana Harshaw, Hofstra Sr. F 6-0 Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood
Alena Koshansky , Delaware Sr. G 5-8 Fairfax, Va./ Chantilly
Cigi McCollin, Hofstra Sr. G 5-7 Long Island City, N.Y./Christ the King
Keisha Monroe, Georgia State Jr. G 5-4 Spring Lake, N.C./Western Harnett
Jamie Mundy, Delaware So. G 6-0 Proctorville, Ohio/Spring Valley/Georgetown
Kimberly Pyne, Towson Sr. C 6-4 Columbia, Md./Howard/George Mason
Linn Quamme, Hofstra Jr. F 6-0 West Salem, Wis./ West Salem
Casey Quigley, George Mason Jr. G 5-10 Springfield, Va./ Lake Braddock
Bethany Stranges, UNC Wilmington Jr. F 6-3 St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville

RAMS' FALL TO TRIBE, 75-53, STREAK SNAPPED AT FIVE
Hollingsworth records 10 th double-double of the season
3-1-07
Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth University women’s basketball team will have to play the waiting game to find out their opponent for the upcoming CAA Tournament as the Rams fell to the College of William & Mary, 75-53 on Thursday evening. The Black and Gold are guaranteed the sixth-seed in the tournament, but will not find out their first-round opponent until later this evening.

Sophomore Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) recorded her 10 th double-double of the season, but it was not enough as the Tribe shot over 50 percent from the field and from beyond the arc.

The Rams finish the regular season with a 16-12 mark, and a 9-9 record in the Colonial Athletic Association, while William & Mary improves to 18-11 and 10-8 in the CAA.

Senior night ceremonies fired up the Tribe as Devin James connected on six of William and Mary’s first eight points and Katy Neumer knocked in a three-pointer to give the Tribe a 11-0 advantage with 15:04 left in the first half.

Hollingsworth led a Rams’ charge with six straight VCU points as the Black and Gold cut the lead to 16-9 with 11:41 showing on the first half clock.

The Tribe continued to stay hot from beyond the arc in the first half as William and Mary would knock down three three-pointers on their next four possessions to take a commanding 30-14 lead with 6:44 remaining in the first half.

After a James lay-up gave William & Mary a 36-16 lead with 3:48 left in the half, the Rams would respond with an 11-2 run, keyed by a three-pointer from senior Michele Cosel (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) and four points from Hollingsworth, as the Black and Gold would cut the Tribe advantage to 38-27 heading into the intermission.

Three different Tribe players knocked down jumpers to start the second half as William & Mary pushed their lead to 44-27 with 17:18 remaining in regulation.

Junior Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) chipped in four straight points for VCU to cut the deficit to 44-31, and after four straight Tribe points, Hollingsworth connected on three straight lay-ups as the Rams cut the William & Mary lead to 48-37 with 12:53 left in the second half.

The Tribe defense would stifle the Black and Gold offense the remainder of the game as the Rams would be held to just 15 points the rest of the contest as William & Mary would pick up the 75-53 victory.

William & Mary’s defense held VCU to 31.7% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc. The Tribe offensive was efficient knocking down 50.8% from the field and even better from beyond the arc with 53.3%.

Hollingsworth was the leading scorer for the Rams as she chipped in 18 points and collected 10 rebounds. Vaughn was the only other Black and Gold player in double-figures as she recorded 13 points and four rebounds.

James led the Tribe offensive effort as she recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Neumer and Courtney Portell were the other two Tribe players in double-digits as each poured in 11 points in the victorious effort.

The Rams will now spend a week preparing for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, which kicks off next Thursday on the campus of the University of Delaware in Newark, Del.


PINKNEY ERUPTS, VCU WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT, 78-67 OVER GEORGIA STATE
2-25-07
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – On Senior Day, it was junior guard Brittany Pinkney (Clinton, Md./The Patterson School) (pictured) who enjoyed a breakout performance to lead red hot Virginia Commonwealth University past Georgia State, 78-67 Sunday at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

VCU has ripped off five straight wins to improve to 16-11 overall, its most victories since the 1994-95 season, when the Rams finished 20-10 and made an appearance in the WNIT. The Black and Gold raises its Colonial Athletic Association mark to 9-8 and remains tied for fifth place with William & Mary, which defeated George Mason Sunday. VCU and William & Mary will meet on the final day of the regular season, Thursday, March 1 to decide the No. 5 seed for the upcoming CAA Tournament.

Georgia State has lost four straight to fall to 15-13 overall and 7-10 in league play.

Pinkney, who entered the day averaging 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds, exploded for a career-high 21 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Pinkney, who was 0-fo-7 from 3-point range on the year, knocked down 4-of-4 from distance Sunday. She hit 6-of-10 from the floor overall and was 5-of-7 from the free throw line.

In addition, sophomore center Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) added 20 points and nine rebounds, while junior forward Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) pumped in 15 points. Seniors Michele Cosel (Mechanicsville/Atlee) and Miranda Smith (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) chipped in nine points and six assists and nine points and three rebounds, respectively, in their final home game.

VCU’s victory overshadowed another outstanding performance by the Panthers’ dynamic guard Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen, who fired in a game-high 27 points. In four career games against the Rams, Roegiers-Jensen has averaged 26.5 points.

The Rams trailed, 30-26 at halftime, but for the second straight game, came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders. VCU shot 65 percent (17-of-26) after the break, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range.

Pinkney opened the second half by canning a 3-pointer from the right wing to pull the Rams to within 30-29, and a jumper from Smith at the 18:49 mark gave the Black and Gold a 32-31 lead.

Later, Hollingsworth and Vaughn fueled a 15-4 VCU run, combining for nine points, as the Rams took their largest lead at 56-41 with 9:53 left.

However, Roegiers-Jensen wouldn’t let the Panthers go away easily, pumping in eight points during a 20-8 burst that trimmed VCU’s lead to 69-66 with 3:15 showing.

But the Rams held GSU to without a field goal and to just one point total the remainder of the game to preserve the victory.

VCU meets William & Mary on Thursday at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va. at 7 p.m.

VAUGHN’S 25 PROPELS VCU TO 76-64 WIN OVER UNC WILMINGTON
2-22-07
Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Junior forward Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) pumped in 25 points and Virginia Commonwealth University played a nearly-flawless second half on the way to a 76-64 win over UNC Wilmington Thursday at Trask Coliseum.

The victory is the Rams’ fourth straight, raising their record to 15-11 overall and 8-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association. VCU’s 15 wins tie its most since the 1994-95 season, when it finished 20-10. Since then, the Black and Gold have won 15 games in 1997-98, 1999-2000 and 2000-01. The Rams also improved to 7-7 on the road, their most away victories since going 9-2 in 1994-95.

UNC Wilmington has lost six consecutive games to sink to 7-19 overall and 3-12 in the CAA.

Vaughn knocked down 10-of-16 shots from the field in the game and was 5-of-7 from the free throw line in her seventh 20-point effort of the season and the 11 th of her career. In addition, sophomore center Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) contributed her ninth double-double of the season and the 23 rd of her career in 53 games, moving her into sole possession of third place in school history. Senior guard Michele Cosel (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) added 12 points and four assists for VCU.

Sahsha Taylor led the Seahawks with 16 points, while Lori Drake added 15 and seven rebounds.

VCU, which trailed by as many as 13 in the first half and was down 33-26 at halftime, shot 54 percent (19-of-35) after the break, committed just five turnovers and out rebounded UNCW, 24-13.

The Black and Gold looks to retain its hold on fifth-place in the CAA when it welcomes Georgia State to the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m.

HOLLINGSWORTH’S BIG SECOND HALF PROPELS VCU TO THIRD STRAIGHT
2-18-07
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Sophomore center Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) scored 16 of her game-high 18 points in the second half and junior forward Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) chipped in with 17 in Virginia Commonwealth University’s 61-52 win over George Mason Sunday at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

VCU has won three straight to surpass its win total from a year ago and improve to 14-11 overall and 7-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The victory, The Rams’ second over the Patriots this season, moves VCU into a fifth-place logjam with Towson, William & Mary and Georgia State, which all lost Sunday. George Mason sunk to 8-17 overall and 2-13 in league play with the loss.

Hollingsworth connected on 6-of-8 shots from the field in the second half and grabbed 10 rebounds to register her eighth double-double of the season. It is also her 22nd career double-double in 52 games, moving Hollingsworth in to a tie with Lauren Hogan for third on the school’s all-time list.

Vaughn nailed 6-of-13 attempts from the field and hauled in five rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench for VCU. Junior guard LaKea Jones (Fort Washington, Md./National Christian-Academy) contributed 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Lateisha Wade led George Mason with 16 points and six rebounds, but made just 6-of-19 shots from the field. Nikkia Slade added 10 points.

The game marked the second time this season the Black and Gold have overcome a halftime deficit to beat GMU. Sunday, VCU fell behind 24-21 at the break, but ratcheted up the defense to hold the Patriots to 31-percent (9-of-29) shooting in the second half. The Black and Gold also out rebounded Mason, 26-18 in the second half and held a 40-37 edge on the boards in the game.

Hollingsworth gave VCU a 26-25 lead with a traditional three-point play with 18:44 remaining. The Rams would never trail again. The VCU lead swelled to 10 at 46-36 when Hollingsworth connected on another three-point opportunity with 7:21 left.

George Mason rallied to within five points on two occasions, but each time Hollingsworth converted a bucket to push the margin back to seven points.

VCU returns to floor on Thursday, Feb. 22 when it heads to UNC Wilmington for a CAA match-up at 7 p.m. at Trask Coliseum.


VAUGHN DROPS 17, VCU LEAD WIRE-TO-WIRE IN 68-54 WIN OVER TRIBE
2-15-07
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. –Virginia Commonwealth University used suffocating defense to storm out to a big halftime lead and never looked back in defeating William & Mary, 68-54 Thursday at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) (pictured) paced the Black and Gold with 17 points. Junior point guard Lakea Jones (Fort Washington, Md./National Christian Academy) added a season-high 14 points and the Rams forced a season-high 14 steals in the Colonial Athletic Association match-up. Sophomore center Quanitra Hollingsworth ( Chesapeake, Va./ Great Bridge) kicked in 12 points and nine rebounds for the Black and Gold.

With the win, VCU moves to 13-11 on the season, 6-8 in the CAA. William and Mary falls to 15-10, 7-7 in the CAA.

VCU jumped out to an 8-2 lead on two free throws by Vaughn at the 15:49 mark. Later, Hollingsworth keyed a 15-1 Black and Gold run that pushed the margin to 20 points at 34-14 with 2:03 to go in the first half. The Rams would eventually take a 36-19 lead into the break. The Rams are now 10-0 this season when leading at halftime.

William & Mary wouldn’t go away easily, however, as the Tribe pulled to within eight with 6:07 remaining in the game on a Devin James bucket. But the Rams used a traditional three-point play by Vaughn and two Jones free throws to extend the lead to 13 with 5:03 on the clock. William & Mary would not threaten seriously again.

The Tribe was led by Courtney Portell, who scored 12 points on four 3-point baskets. She was one of the few bright spots for William & Mary, however, as VCU held the Tribe to 33 percent (20-of-60) shooting from the floor. The Rams limited reigning CAA Player of the Year Kyra Kaylor to just 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting and forced the Tribe’s second-leading scorer, Devin James into a 5-of-17 night from the field.

The Rams return to action on Sunday, hosting the George Mason Patriots at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center at 4 p.m.

WALLER SUPPLIES OFFENSE, VCU SURVIVES DREXEL, 53-50
2-11-07
Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Virginia Commonwealth University freshman Kita Waller (Gainesville, Ga./ Gainesville) poured in a career-high 15 points off the bench and the Rams survived two late scares to pick up a 53-50 win over Drexel Sunday afternoon at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

VCU raised its record to 12-11 overall and 5-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association with the win. It also snapped a three-game losing streak to the Dragons. Drexel falls to 6-18 on the year, including 1-12 in league play.

Waller, who scored 11 of her points in the second half, snapped a 50-50 tie with two free throws with 41 seconds remaining.

On the Dragon’s ensuing possession, Gabriela Marginean streaked through the right side of the lane, but missed a potential game-tying layup. Drexel quickly fouled VCU sophomore center Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge), who made the first of two free throws to put the Rams ahead, 53-50 with 3.8 on the clock.

Hollingsworth missed the second attempt, and Marginean raced up the floor to fire a 3-point attempt from halfcourt, only to have the ball rattle in and out as the buzzer sounded.

Waller, a 36-percent free throw shooter coming into the game, knocked down all seven of her attempts on the day. She also had four steals and four rebounds. Hollingsworth finished with nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while junior forward Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) added nine points and six rebounds.

Marginean had a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds for the Dragons.

VCU’s last field goal of the game came with 5:12 showing when Vaughn canned a jumper that gave the Rams a 45-44 lead. However, VCU made 7-of-10 free throws, 2-of-2 from Waller and 5-of-8 by Hollingsworth, to secure the win.

The Black and Gold led by as many as eight points at 30-22 on a jumper with 19:36 left by senior forward Miranda Smith (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River), but it would not last.

A pair of Marginean layups and a 3-pointer from Anora Suber sparked a 12-2 Drexel run that gave the Dragons a 34-32 advantage. From that point the game would remain nip-and-tuck the rest of the way, featuring four ties and five lead changes in the final 16 minutes.

VCU returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 15 when it hosts William & Mary at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center at 7 p.m.