Final Score: VCU 81, Massachusetts 69
Tournament: Atlantic 10 Championship
Location: Richmond, Va.  (Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 16-10, Massachusetts 14-7
 
 
The Short Story: VCU claimed its first Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Championship on Sunday afternoon behind a combined 38-point performance froom All-Tournament Team members Taya Robinson and Sarah Te-Biasu. With the win, VCU earned its second bid to the NCAA Tournament in program history and first automaitc bid.
 
 
OPENING TIP: 

• Robinson poured in 19 points and went 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. She also added four rebounds, two assists and one steal 
• Robinson was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament team as well as earning A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player honors
• Te-Biasu tied a career-high with 19 points of her own while dishing out two assists and pulling down five rebounds. Te-Biasu joined Robinson on the All-Tournament Team
• Tera Reed contributed 12 points and was responsible for five rebounds, three assists and four steals 
• Janika Griffith-Wallace made a significant impact off the bench as she went for 10 points along with four rebounds and two steals
• VCU went 10-of-20 from 3-point range, a season-high in makes, while limiting the Minutewomen to shoot just 7-of-29 from deep
• Massachusetts' Sydney Taylor led all players in scoring with 23 points 

 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: 
 

• VCU ran out to a 22-12 lead in the first quarter behind a combined six 3-pointers from Robinson and Te-Biasu
• In the second quarter, Massachusetts slowly chipped away at VCU's lead back into the game. With 26 seconds left in the opening half, Angelique Ngalakulondi cashed in on a layup to put the cut VCU's lead to 42-37 at the break
• In the fourth quarter the Rams pulled away once again thanks to a 8-0 run ignited by Tera Reed's conversion on an and-one opportunity and was punctuated by a Janika Griffith-Wallace 3-pointer

 
 
NOTEABLE: 

• The Rams were crowned Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Champions for the first time since joining the league in 2012-13. It's the first conference tournament championship in program history
• VCU earns a place in the NCAA National tournament for the first time since 2009 and its second bid overall
• Taya Robinson becomes the first VCU player to be named the Atlantic 10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player
• The Rams finished the tournament with a plus-nine turnover ratio 

 
UP NEXT: 
 
The NCAA Women's Selection Special will air Monday, March 15 at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The first round of the NCAA tournament will take place in San Antonio, Texas and begin on March 21