Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

UMass women’s basketball remains winless in A-10 play with loss to VCU

Cade Belisle/Daily Collegian
Cade Belisle/Daily Collegian

Make it nine straight losses for the Massachusetts women’s basketball team.

UMass was defeated by Virginia Commonwealth for the second time this season, this time by a score of 81-51 on Saturday at Mullins Center.

The Rams (16-3, 4-2 Atlantic 10) led the Minutewomen (3-16, 0-5 A-10) by just seven points at halftime, but pulled away behind 17 second-half points from A-10 leading scorer Robyn Parks.

Parks finished the game with a game-high 21 points, while Jessica Pellechio and Isis Thorpe added 16 and 13 points, respectively, for VCU.

While UMass’ loss wasn’t quite as lopsided as the 112-54 beating it took in its first meeting with the Rams on Jan. 2, turnovers once again were the difference.

The Minutewomen turned the ball over 30 times in the first meeting. On Saturday, VCU’s zone defense pressured them into 32 turnovers, which quickly put the game away in the final 20 minutes.

“I think 32 (turnovers) is way too much,” UMass coach Sharon Dawley said. “VCU’s zone (defense) did a great job and caused a lot of turnovers. But we looked pretty lackadaisical passing against the zone, and it got us. We struggled.”

Kim Pierre-Louis acknowledged that although she thought the team’s performance was an improvement over the loss on Jan. 2, the team’s turnover total was “not acceptable” and that it “opened up the game” for the Rams.

In addition to turnovers, Pierre-Louis said UMass was bothered by VCU’s zone defense in the second half.

“We really came out aggressive. It was unfortunate though, that in the second half we had a big shooting drought,” she said. “We were trying to get shots that were open for us, and we were trying to hit those mid-range jumpers. I usually hit those, but today was a bad day and we really just couldn’t get out of that drought.”

The Minutewomen started the game strong in the first half by attacking the post against the zone.

“Their zone makes you really take a lot of perimeter shots,” Dawley said. “Statistically, that’s not where we are doing that well at right now, so we were looking to get more clean touches and post touches, which we got early on, and that’s why I think we held it to a seven-point game in the first half.”

Freshman Kymber Hill led UMass with 14 points, while senior Kiara Bomben added 12 points.

“(Hill) gets better every day and I saw a great defense out of her today. Great offense too,” Dawley said. “She missed a lot of shots that I think, as she gets a little bit older, she’ll make though.”

Hill added that an increase in confidence has led to her recent improvement.

“I felt like I was more aggressive today and that I am progressing in every game and just moving forward,” Hill said. “I just have to keep adding on to it.”

Starting sophomore guard Nola Henry missed most of Saturday’s game as she was battling the flu, Dawley said.

According to Dawley, it is uncertain as of now if Henry, whose illness limited her to five scoreless minutes off the bench against the Rams, will be active in the Minutewomen’s next game Wednesday against Dayton.

“I can’t guess what the flu is going to bring, but she has until Wednesday to get better, so I’m hopeful,” Dawley said.

Anthony Chiusano can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @a_chiusano24.

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