By: Cameron Branscomb
The VCU Women’s basketball teams win the A-10 Conference Championship against the University of Massachusetts, 81-69. Giving the program their first-ever conference championship.
VCU came out the blocks scorching making six of nine, three-pointers. Sarah Te-Biasu led all scorers with 13 points. The true freshman, Te-Biasu missed only one shot for the entire quarter. Taya Robinson also had nine points. Robinson went perfect from the three-point line. The Rams led 26-19 after the first.
UMass ramped up the defense in the second quarter, holding VCU to 16 in the second. VCU had no answer for Angelique Ngalakolundi who had a perfect quarter going four for four. At halftime VCU led 42-37 and dominating from behind the arc, shooting 64% as a team from the three-point line.
In the third quarter, the rams struggled to get their offense going. Stalling at times, VCU only amassed 13 points. Sydney Taylor for UMass got hot from the field making two early three-pointers. She finished the quarter with eight points, UMass put up 16 in the quarter. Going into the final quarter UMass was down five, 58-53.
Sydney Taylor put UMass on her back and willed her team to tie the game, but some late-game heroics from Tara Reed gave VCU the push. Reed had 10 points in the quarter and converted two and-1 opportunities. Reed took eight free throws and made six in the quarter. That proved to be too much and VCU took home the trophy.
With the win, the VCU women’s basketball punches their ticket to the NCAA women’s championship tournament.
