Winning streaks were on the line at the Siegel Center as VCU Women’s Basketball hosted Atlantic 10 preseason favorite Saint Louis. In a Sunday afternoon conference showdown, VCU had a good showing early, however, SLU was able to outlast the Rams in the final quarter.

Rams Runnin’ Early

VCU set the tone early in the first quarter. Mooriah Rowser got the Rams going on offense after draining her first shot from mid-range. Saint Louis had trouble as the Billikens went 0-for-7 from the field until Jordy Frantz finally broke the cold shooting with a bucket.

Things got worse Saint Louis as VCU brought pressure on defense. VCU Head Coach Beth O’Boyle sent in her reserves as Ashlee Mitchell, Ashley Pegram, and Katherine Strong made things difficult for the Billikens. Curteeona Brelove added extra ammunition from in the paint as the Rams held a 12-8 lead into the 2^nd quarter.

A Battle Before Half-Time

Saint Louis was able to turn their offense around in the second. Jackie Kemph started to connect on shots after starting the game 0-for-4 from the field. Maddison Gits and Sadie Stipanovich provided help on offense as SLU shot 54% from the field in the quarter.

Rebounds and turnovers kept the game balanced until halftime. SLU committed 13 turnovers in the half while VCU scored 9 points from those turnovers. The Billikens nearly doubled VCU in rebounds as Saint Louis grabbed 31 rebounds to the Rams’ 15. GG Goodhope and Mooriah Rowser continued leading the VCU offense as both teams went into half-time notched at 24-24.

Billikens Emerged

As the third quarter got underway, Saint Louis’ scoring resurfaced inside the Siegel Center. Jenny Vliet got things started from downtown with the Billikens first three-pointer of the game. From there SLU continued dominating the glass with 16 offensive rebounds and making the most on second chance buckets.

With Keira Robinson held without a bucket, VCU needed something on offense. Isis Thorpe arose from the Rams bench and drained a pair of clutch threes to put VCU back in business. The defense was still holding it’s own as SLU’s turnovers continued to rise while VCU only trailed by four points heading into the fourth quarter.

A Frozen 4th

The final quarter of action showcased a Billiken takeover. As Kemph started to hit her groove, Sadie Stipanovich continued being a menace in the paint against the Rams. Stipanovich led Saint Louis by collecting a double-double consisting of 15 points and 13 rebounds.

VCU started to go cold at the end. The Rams shot 7% from the field on 1-of-15 shooting in the fourth quarter. The ball was not a friend of the Black & Gold as the Rams created chances that just could not go into the hoop. Isis Thorpe led VCU with 10 points while Galaisha Goodhope and Curteeona Brelove had 9 points each.

In the end, it was Saint Louis victorious at the Siegel Center with a 62-48 win over VCU. The Rams saw their 3 game winning streak come to an end while the Billikens increased their streak to 6 wins. VCU fell to 2-2 in Atlantic 10 play.

VCU Women’s Basketball hits the road on Wednesday, January 11^th to take on Saint Joseph’s. That Atlantic 10 game is set for an 11:30 AM tip-off.

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Mark Turner

Mark graduated from VCU in 2014 with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. He started as a fan of the Black & Gold in the stands his freshman year. Mark was known as "Kazie" for his charismatic fandom with the VCU's student organization the Rowdy Rams. While at VCU he gained experience in sports media with WVCW on a sports radio show called Rowdy Radio. Following graduation, Mark continued crafting his social media skills with the Richmond Kickers while also handling VCU coverage. He is a true fan of the Rams and vocally passionate on and off camera. After the final whistle, you can probably find him at local RVA bar or brewery enjoying a drink and conversation.