Spring Break
URI women's basketball takes split in Atlantic 10
Matt Swiss
Issue date: 3/11/09 Section: Sports
03/11/09 - The University of Rhode Island women's basketball team finished its season off with a record of 10-21, after upsetting fifth-seeded George Washington University but falling to fourth-seeded Richmond University this past weekend at the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament.
After dropping a 55-48 road decision to the Colonials earlier in the regular season, the Rams overcame great odds in defeating GWU for the first time in more than 13 years.
"We've always known we've had the players to perform," assistant coach Denise King said. "It's just a matter of the pieces coming together. GW was a huge game for us. We know that we should have beaten them in the beginning of the year so there was a lot of emotion, a lot of intensity, a lot of attention and detail riding on this game."
Rhode Island's backcourt led the way offensively, as senior guard Crystal Bellinger and junior guard Lindsay Harris poured in 15 points apiece. Senior forward Tanja Licina and freshman forward Lara Gaspar also scored in double figures, contributing 12 and 10 points respectively.
"It started about a game or two before," King said. "The confidence started building, people started clicking, and we felt as though it was a really good time for us to be coming around and to be meshing well."
After jumping out to an early 10-5 advantage, the Rams were outscored 20-10 during the next 11 minutes of play, and found themselves trailing 25-20 with just more than two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the period.
In each of Rhode Island's last nine losses during the regular season, Rhody entered the half trailing. The Rams were able to close out the first half of Saturday's game with a 7-2 push, however, to tie the score at 27 apiece and eventually pull away for a 62-58 victory.
"It's always a huge momentum change to come down from a deficit and then come back and make the game exciting," King said. "But it's also very draining. It's tough to come back from five points, seven points, 10 points and have that huge 20-point turnaround. It takes a lot. Sometimes you have enough time, sometimes you don't. Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn't."
After dropping a 55-48 road decision to the Colonials earlier in the regular season, the Rams overcame great odds in defeating GWU for the first time in more than 13 years.
"We've always known we've had the players to perform," assistant coach Denise King said. "It's just a matter of the pieces coming together. GW was a huge game for us. We know that we should have beaten them in the beginning of the year so there was a lot of emotion, a lot of intensity, a lot of attention and detail riding on this game."
Rhode Island's backcourt led the way offensively, as senior guard Crystal Bellinger and junior guard Lindsay Harris poured in 15 points apiece. Senior forward Tanja Licina and freshman forward Lara Gaspar also scored in double figures, contributing 12 and 10 points respectively.
"It started about a game or two before," King said. "The confidence started building, people started clicking, and we felt as though it was a really good time for us to be coming around and to be meshing well."
After jumping out to an early 10-5 advantage, the Rams were outscored 20-10 during the next 11 minutes of play, and found themselves trailing 25-20 with just more than two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the period.
In each of Rhode Island's last nine losses during the regular season, Rhody entered the half trailing. The Rams were able to close out the first half of Saturday's game with a 7-2 push, however, to tie the score at 27 apiece and eventually pull away for a 62-58 victory.
"It's always a huge momentum change to come down from a deficit and then come back and make the game exciting," King said. "But it's also very draining. It's tough to come back from five points, seven points, 10 points and have that huge 20-point turnaround. It takes a lot. Sometimes you have enough time, sometimes you don't. Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn't."
