Women's basketball continues losing streak with loss against UMass Amherst

02/25/09 - By Matt SwissSports Staff Reporter



The University of Rhode Island women's basketball team dropped its seventh straight game after falling to the University of Massachusetts Amherst Sunday afternoon, 58-52. The game marked the second time this season that the Rams fell at the hands of the Minutewomen.

Junior guard Lindsay Harris was the lone Ram in double-figures, recording a game-high 15 points. Harris also grabbed six boards, dished out three assists and collected three steals.

Senior guard Crystal Bellinger and sophomore Megan Shoniker combined for 18 points, scoring nine apiece, but the offense produced by Rhody's backcourt was not enough, as the Rams came up six points short.

"It wasn't a lack of execution," head coach Tom Garrick said. "It was a lack of shot-making. We just weren't able to put down enough shots. The defense, for the most part, has been adequate enough for us to be competitive, but we've just been having trouble scoring."

The combination of sophomore Teya Wright and senior Sakera Young came up huge for UMass when Rhody fell to the Minutewomen a few weeks ago, scoring a combined 38 points. Sunday, however, the Rams were able to hold Wright to two points, and Young to eight points, respectively.

"I thought we did a pretty good job of zoning up on them," Garrick said. "We did a good job limiting Sakera's penetration and I thought we did a good job keeping [Wright] off the post. But we gave up 10 three-pointers and you're not going to win games allowing that many threes."

Massachusetts' freshman forward Kristina Danella filled up the stat sheet, recording a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 12 boards, while senior guard Stefanie Geradot led UMass with 13 points. Rhody's senior forward Sierra Cooper contributed a team-best eight rebounds, but struggled offensively for the third straight game, finishing with four points.

"Sierra's going through a little bit of a funk right now," Garrick said. "We don't have a kid who we can pencil in to score double figures every night, so we obviously need points from wherever we can get them."

After a jumper from Bellinger gave Rhody a two point advantage with more than five minutes remaining in the first half, UMass answered with a 5-2 run and entered the break with a one point advantage, 22-21. It was the sixth game in Rhody's seven game losing streak that the Rams entered into the break trailing.

An 8-2 run to open up the second half by Rhode Island gave the Rams a five point lead at 29-24. Massachusetts answered quickly, outscoring Rhody 26-12 during the next 14 minutes of play to jump out in front to a 50-41 lead. The Rams battled back, scoring seven unanswered points, but could not get any closer than two, as a pair of clutch three-pointers by the Minutewomen put the game away for UMass.

"Each game comes down to us defending and making shots," Garrick said.

Rhode Island will attempt to get back on track tomorrow night when the Rams host Dayton University. The game will mark the last home game for six Rhody seniors, who will be honored before the game's start.

Tip-off will be at 7 p.m.

"I think our last two games are going to be extremely difficult, but both winnable games," Garrick said. "I don't think that there is any team besides Xavier University that has proven to us that they're that much better than we are.