Final Score: UMass 79, VCU 75

Location: Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)

Records: VCU 4-14 (1-5 A-10), UMass 9-10 (1-5, A-10)

The Short Story: After trailing by as many as 13 points, the Rams battled back powered by their best 3-point shooting output of the season to cut the deficit to just 77-75 with nine seconds remaining. Ultimately, UMass was able to hold off VCU after the Minutewomen went 8-of-10 at the free throw line in the last 44 seconds.

QUICK FACTS

• Tera Reed had a team-high 15 points along with five rebounds.
• Taya Robinson scored a career-high 13 points in addition to five boards.
• The Rams shot a season-high 55.6 percent from 3-point range and made a season-high 10 3-pointers
• UMass held a slight 33-30 edge in rebounding overall but shot 75.3 percent from the free throw line to VCU's 65.2 percent.
• Bre Hampton-Bey had 31 points and five rebounds to lead UMass.
• Hailey Leidel and Genesis Rivera also scored in double figures with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• UMass opened the game on an 11-0 run and led by that margin with 6:31 left in the first quarter.
• The Rams responded with a 7-0 run of their own to trail just 11-7 with 5:07 left in the frame.
• The Minutewomen then outscored the Rams 14-7 to lead 25-14 going into the second quarter.
• UMass opened its biggest lead of the game at 35-22 with 6:09 left before halftime but an 8-0 run got the Rams within 35-30. After the teams traded buckets, the Minutewomen took a 41-35 lead into halftime.
• UMass built another double digit lead over the course of the third quarter and led VCU 52-42 with 3:34 left in the frame but an 11-5 spurt from the Rams cut the deficit to just 57-53 heading into the final 10 minutes.
• VCU got within 57-55 to start the fourth after a pair of Danielle Hammond free throws but UMass responded with a 10-4 run to make it 67-59 with 4:24 left in the contest.
• The Rams fought back again as a quick 5-0 run made it 67-64 with 3:26 left.
• VCU would get within one possession two more times in the final minute and trailed just 77-75 with nine seconds left before UMass closed the game with free throws.

WHAT'S NEXT

VCU travels to La Salle for a 12 p.m. tipoff on Thursday, Jan. 25.