HOLLINGSWORTH, COSEL SPARK VCU RALLY OVER MASON, 57-54
2-4-07
Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. – Sophomore center Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) (pictured) turned in her fifth consecutive double-double and senior guard Michele Cosel (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) scored all 13 of her points in the second half to lead Virginia Commonwealth University back from a 14-point deficit on the way to a 57-54 win over George Mason Sunday at the Patriot Center.

The victory halts VCU’s three-game losing streak and lifts it to 11-10 overall and 4-7 in the Colonial Athletic Association. George Mason is 8-13 overall and slips to 2-9 in the league.

Hollingsworth had 19 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, recording her seventh double-double of the season and her 21 st in 49 career games. Cosel added five rebounds, four assists and two steals for VCU.

Despite tailing by as many as 14 points in the second half, the Rams took a 44-43 lead on an offensive putback by freshman guard La’Tavia Rorie (Charlotte, N.C./Harding University H.S.) with 5:08 remaining. It was VCU’s first lead since a 12-10 advantage with 12:09 left in the first half.

The Patriots knotted the game up at 45-45 and 47-47, but Hollingsworth scored three straight points, including a layin with 2:53 left, that pushed the VCU lead to 50-47. The Black and Gold would not trail again. After Mason’s Lateisha Wade converted a bucket in transition to cut the margin to one, Cosel turned canned her second 3-pointer of the day to turn the Patriots away.

George Mason made it interesting at the end, however. With the score at 57-51, the Patriots’ Casey Quigley rebounded a missed free throw with 16 seconds left and raced up the court, knocking down a 3-pointer with 9.4 seconds left. A turnover on VCU’s ensuing possession put the ball in Mason’s hands with 5.2 seconds on the clock. Quigley took the inbounds pass, drove up the right side of the court and fired a 3-point attempt that caromed off the left side of the rim as time expired.

Quigley led three GMU players in double figures with 15 points.

Rorie kicked in eight points, four steals and two rebounds off the bench for the Black and Gold. VCU owned a 44-41 rebounding advantage, including 23-15 on the offensive end, and forced 22 Patriot turnovers.

The Rams return to action on Thursday, Feb. 8 when they take on CAA and in-state rival James Madison at the Alltel Pavilion at 4 p.m. in the first game of a double-header with the VCU Men’s team.