The Good 5 Cent Cigar

Issue date: 2/4/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Keri Castro Sierra Cooper takes a shot at the hoop in last night's game against UMass.

02/04/09 - The University of Rhode Island women's basketball team dropped its second straight game last night after falling to the University of Massachusetts. UMass, which had lost five straight games entering last night's contest, handed the Rams (9-13, 2-5 A-10) their fifth loss in their last six games at the Ryan Center.

"This is probably the most disappointed I've been with any team I've ever coached," head coach Tom Garrick said. "It wasn't about taking anybody lightly or not preparing, it was about not having the heart to compete."

After winning the opening tip, UMass senior guard Sakera Young gave her team the lead with a pull up jumper from the left baseline. Young led all scorers with 22 points on a very efficient 8-11 from the field.

"We couldn't guard Young off the dribble," Garrick said. "We knew what they wanted to do, we scouted them like we do every team, we prepared for them, our shoot-around was good and informative but we let kids do what they want to do, but normally don't do."

Rhody's senior forward Tanja Licina got Rhode Island on the board with a jumper 1:40 into the game. Licina, who missed her team's last game and most of the game before that with an ankle injury, finished with eight points and six rebounds in her first game back.

"I wasn't happy with what I saw from anybody," Garrick said. "Even with the eight points and six rebounds, there were 10 other things that every one of our kids did wrong. We weren't prepared for the fight that we were in for tonight and there's nothing that I can come away from this game with and feel happy about."

After a three-pointer from freshman guard Sherrie Sessions gave the Rams a lead they would soon surrender, UMass went on a dominating 10-0 run capped off by a three-pointer from senior guard Stefanie Garardot with just over eight minutes remaining in the half.

"We just had a mental lapse," senior guard Crystal Bellinger said. "We have to be able to play 40 hard minutes every night. We always let teams get away from us and then we try to get back at the end."

Bellinger led the way for Rhody offensively with 15 points and six assists. Bellinger also added four steals but was very deliberate when asked what she can do better on the defensive side of the ball.

Continued...

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