Spring Break
Women's basketball takes Bryant, falls to CCSU in tournament
Matt Swiss
Issue date: 12/2/08 Section: Sports
12/02/08 - The University of Rhode Island women's basketball team evened its record at three apiece after finishing the 2008 Rhody Classic Tournament with a 1-1 record. The Rams defeated Bryant University Friday afternoon and fell to Central Connecticut State University on Saturday.
The loss to CCSU snapped a two-game win streak for the Rams and marked Rhody's second home loss of the season.
Sophomore guard Megan Shoniker led the way for Rhode Island, scoring 17 points in each contest. Shoniker earned All-Tournament honors and is now second on her team in scoring, averaging 9.2 points per game. She trails senior guard Sierra Cooper for the team lead, who currently averages 10 points per game.
"I thought Meg broke out of her shooting slump," head coach Tom Garrick said. "Hopefully this is a sign of consistency to come for us."
Rhode Island showed a balanced effort in its victory over Bryant which helped the Rams overcome a 12-point second half deficit. Shoniker contributed a team-high 17 points, while senior forward Tanja Licina added 15 points, pulled down 7 boards and rejected three shots. Junior guard Lindsay Harris also collected nine rebounds, while adding nine points and dishing out three assists.
"We're trying to play as an ensemble cast," Garrick said. "We're really trying to distribute the ball evenly."
Garrick felt the balanced effort was crucial in Rhody's come-from-behind win and feels that the Rams will need to continue to show a team effort if they will be successful down the road.
"We're going to need two or three scorers in double figures every night to be successful," he said.
URI produced much of its offense at the foul line as it connected on a season-high 27 free-throws. The Rams success at the line overshadowed its season-low 30.4 percent effort from the field. Licina tied a Ryan Center record, as she was a perfect 11-11 from the line.
"It's incredibly important," Garrick said. "We're having a difficult time getting the ball into the hole, so it's important to be aggressive and put pressure on the referee."
The loss to CCSU snapped a two-game win streak for the Rams and marked Rhody's second home loss of the season.
Sophomore guard Megan Shoniker led the way for Rhode Island, scoring 17 points in each contest. Shoniker earned All-Tournament honors and is now second on her team in scoring, averaging 9.2 points per game. She trails senior guard Sierra Cooper for the team lead, who currently averages 10 points per game.
"I thought Meg broke out of her shooting slump," head coach Tom Garrick said. "Hopefully this is a sign of consistency to come for us."
Rhode Island showed a balanced effort in its victory over Bryant which helped the Rams overcome a 12-point second half deficit. Shoniker contributed a team-high 17 points, while senior forward Tanja Licina added 15 points, pulled down 7 boards and rejected three shots. Junior guard Lindsay Harris also collected nine rebounds, while adding nine points and dishing out three assists.
"We're trying to play as an ensemble cast," Garrick said. "We're really trying to distribute the ball evenly."
Garrick felt the balanced effort was crucial in Rhody's come-from-behind win and feels that the Rams will need to continue to show a team effort if they will be successful down the road.
"We're going to need two or three scorers in double figures every night to be successful," he said.
URI produced much of its offense at the foul line as it connected on a season-high 27 free-throws. The Rams success at the line overshadowed its season-low 30.4 percent effort from the field. Licina tied a Ryan Center record, as she was a perfect 11-11 from the line.
"It's incredibly important," Garrick said. "We're having a difficult time getting the ball into the hole, so it's important to be aggressive and put pressure on the referee."
