HOLLINGSWORTH, WALLER-LED VCU RALLIES PAST UNCW, 56-55
1-14-07
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University sophomore Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) (pictured) scored 14 points and had six rebounds, four steals and three blocks, while freshman guard Kita Waller (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) provided a second-half spark in a 56-55 win over UNC Wilmington Sunday at the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

VCU snaps a three-game losing streak with the win and improves to 8-7 overall, including 1-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association. UNCW drops to 5-10 and 1-3 in league play.

UNC Wilmington had a couple of chances to win the game in the closing seconds. After Hollingsworth missed the front end of a one-and-one with 10.3 seconds left, the Seahawks’ Shade Smith raced up the floor and into the lane, only to have her shot blocked by Hollingsworth. UNCW’s Sahsha Taylor gathered the rebound with time running out, but missed her shot attempt as time expired.

After trailing by as many as 12, senior guard Michele Cosel (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) hit a pair of go-ahead free throws for VCU with 3:26 on the scoreboard to make the game 54-52. UNCW’s Alex Stewart connected on one-of-two at the stripe and Hollingsworth hit a pair from the line with 3:08 remaining to give the Black and Gold a three-point advantage. Two free throws from Taylor with 2:26 left trimmed the VCU edge back to 56-55.

The Rams fell behind by double-digits early in the second half before coming to life for the third straight game. The Seahawk lead ballooned to 43-31 with 11:50 remaining following a Taylor layup. However, thanks to Hollingsworth and Waller, the end result was different this time.

Hollingsworth hit a layup with 11:19 left to cut the margin to 43-33. Junior Krystal Vaughn (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton-Eastern) added a basket moments later, and Waller came up with a steal on the ensuing possession. Waller immediately found Cosel for a layin that trimmed the margin to 43-37 with 10:16 on the clock.

Later, Waller corralled an offensive rebound and subsequently connected on her first career 3-pointer to make the score 43-40. After a bucket from Taylor, VCU junior guard LaKea Jones (Fort Washington, Md./National Christian Academy) and senior Miranda Smith (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) canned back-to-back layups to slice the deficit to one, at 45-44 with 7:53 showing.

Waller later found a cutting Smith from the right wing with an assist that again brought the Rams within on point, at 49-48.

Waller, who had seen a total of 39 minutes of action this season, played the final 12 Sunday and gave the Rams a personal-best five points, two assists, two rebounds and one steal.

VCU shot 62 percent (13-of-21) in the second half to recover from a tepid start that led to 24-22 halftime deficit.

Senior guard Lori Drake scored a game-high and personal-best 21 points to lead the Seahawks, while Taylor kicked in 13 points and five rebounds.

The Black and Gold remain home for their next contest, as VCU hosts CAA-foe Northeastern at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18 at the Alltel Pavilion.