(Richmond, VA) VCU Women's Basketball concluded their non-conference slate on Saturday with a dominant 72-42 victory over the LIU Sharks. The Rams' defense was stellar, holding the Sharks to just 30% shooting from the field (16-52), including an astonishing 0-14 in the third quarter. Janessa Williams led the Sharks with 18 points, while Mary-Anna Asare paced the Rams with 14 points.
The Rams jumped out to an early lead, with Mary-Anna Asare’s layup at the 7:37 mark in the first quarter putting them ahead 8-0. The Sharks got on the board with a jumper from Sirviva Legions, trimming the deficit to six. However, VCU extended their advantage with contributions from Cyriah Griffin, who nailed a three-pointer, and Lucia Sotelo, whose layup made it 23-5 with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter. Jennifer Ezeh added a layup with 1:23 left, pushing the Rams' lead to 25-7. VCU was highly efficient in the opening quarter, shooting 76% from the field (10-13) and going a perfect 100% from beyond the arc, ending the period with an 18-point lead.
In the second quarter, Grace Hutson’s three-pointer at the 8:11 mark gave the Rams their largest lead at the time, 30-9. The Sharks responded with a 6-0 run, fueled by three-pointers from Estie Varga and Candela Garcia-Escribano, cutting the Rams' lead to 15. After Mary-Anna Asare ended the Sharks’ run with a layup, Janessa Williams hit a layup and a three-pointer, bringing LIU closer. Williams’ three-pointer with 2:51 left in the quarter narrowed the gap to 35-23, the closest the Sharks would get. Mykel Parham’s layup with 1:05 remaining sent the Rams into halftime with a 37-23 advantage.
The Rams carried their momentum into the third quarter, going on a massive 22-0 run that spanned nearly the entire period. Following Parham’s layup to close the second quarter, VCU scored 20 unanswered points to extend their lead to 57-23 with 1:03 remaining in the third. The Sharks’ offensive struggles continued, as they missed all 14 field goal attempts in the quarter. Sirviva Legions managed to hit one of two free throws in the final seconds, giving the Sharks their first point of the period, but the Rams ended the third quarter with a commanding 57-24 lead.
Isabel Whitelaw’s three-pointer with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter gave VCU their largest lead of the game at 72-36. The Sharks closed the game on a 6-0 run, but it was far too late, as the Rams secured a decisive 72-42 victory.
What’s Next?
The Rams (6-6) will open Atlantic 10 conference play on the road against Saint Joseph’s at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 29th.
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