Women's basketball drops 2nd straight, Garrick says game was huge disappointment

02/04/09 - The University of Rhode Island women's basketball team dropped its second straight game last night after falling to the University of Massachusetts. UMass, which had lost five straight games entering last night's contest, handed the Rams (9-13, 2-5 A-10) their fifth loss in their last six games at the Ryan Center."This is probably the most disappointed I've been with any team I've ever coached," head coach Tom Garrick said. "It wasn't about taking anybody lightly or not preparing, it was about not having the heart to compete."

After winning the opening tip, UMass senior guard Sakera Young gave her team the lead with a pull up jumper from the left baseline. Young led all scorers with 22 points on a very efficient 8-11 from the field.

"We couldn't guard Young off the dribble," Garrick said. "We knew what they wanted to do, we scouted them like we do every team, we prepared for them, our shoot-around was good and informative but we let kids do what they want to do, but normally don't do."

Rhody's senior forward Tanja Licina got Rhode Island on the board with a jumper 1:40 into the game. Licina, who missed her team's last game and most of the game before that with an ankle injury, finished with eight points and six rebounds in her first game back.

"I wasn't happy with what I saw from anybody," Garrick said. "Even with the eight points and six rebounds, there were 10 other things that every one of our kids did wrong. We weren't prepared for the fight that we were in for tonight and there's nothing that I can come away from this game with and feel happy about."

After a three-pointer from freshman guard Sherrie Sessions gave the Rams a lead they would soon surrender, UMass went on a dominating 10-0 run capped off by a three-pointer from senior guard Stefanie Garardot with just over eight minutes remaining in the half.

"We just had a mental lapse," senior guard Crystal Bellinger said. "We have to be able to play 40 hard minutes every night. We always let teams get away from us and then we try to get back at the end."

Bellinger led the way for Rhody offensively with 15 points and six assists. Bellinger also added four steals but was very deliberate when asked what she can do better on the defensive side of the ball.

"Guard the ball," she said. "I need to be in the right position at the right time. I've been losing sight of my man but I'm going to work on that. We have a little while longer to go before our next game so we're going to work on that at the next couple of practices."

Bellinger's lay-up with just over a second remaining in the half cut the deficit to five and gave Rhody some hope heading into halftime. Two quick scores from Bellinger and senior forward Sierra Cooper cut the lead to 1, and the momentum was beginning to switch as Rhody trailed only 28-27.

Young led Massachusetts back however, scoring 7 points in a 10-0 run by the Minutemen to push the lead to 11 at 38-27.

"We couldn't stop anybody in our man to man," Garrick said, "and when we switched to our zone we gave up two quick threes. We chose not to compete tonight and that was the main problem."

After five straight points from Shoniker put Rhody back in the game at 38-33, it was sophomore forward Teya Wright who put her team on her shoulders, leading a 10-3 run for UMass to push her team's lead back up to 48-36 with 8:20 remaining. Wright finished with 16 points and six rebounds.

"We weren't tough on the block," Garrick said. "You can be playing an eighth grade team but if you come out, and you don't compete and you act like it doesn't matter to you then that's what's going to happen."

The two teams continued to trade baskets, which did no good for Rhode Island as the Rams were unable to get any closer than eight over the final eight and a half minutes of play. The Minutemen ultimately pulled away for their second conference victory and their ninth win overall with a 70-53 defeat.

The Rams will look to get back on track when they travel to George Washington University for their eight Conference match-up of the season. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.