Score: VCU 59, Saint Joseph's 48
Location: Richmond, Va. (Stuart C. Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 23-4 (12-3 Atlantic 10), Saint Joseph's 24-3 (13-2)
 
The short story: Senior guard Sarah Te-Biasu scored 11 of her 16 points in the second half, and VCU held Saint Joseph's to five second-half field goals as the Rams halted the Hawks' 11-game win streak Wednesday at the Siegel Center. In the victory, VCU Head Coach Beth O'Boyle recorded her 168^th win in the Black and Gold to become the program's all-time leader.
 
OPENING TIP

• Te-Biasu connected on 4-of-6 attempts from the floor in the second half, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, to spark a VCU comeback. She added three assists and two steals in the contest
• Sophomore guard Mary-Anne Asare added 12 points and three boards for the Rams, while classmate Timaya Lewis-Eutsey collected nine points, six rebounds, six steals and a block
• Redshirt sophomore guard Jennifer Ezeh added eight points and four rebounds off the bench for the Black and Gold
• Laura Ziegler paced Saint Joseph's with 13 points and 11 caroms

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU's defense keyed a remarkable reversal of fortune in the second half. The Rams held the Hawks to 5-of-29 shooting, including 0-of-9 from 3-point range and forced 15 turnovers to erase a 36-23 halftime deficit. The Black and Gold outscored Saint Joe's 36-12 in the second half and shot 57 percent (13-of-23) from the field in the final two quarters
• The Rams held the Hawks without a field goal the final 8:55 of the third quarter and closed the period with a 17-2 barrage, led by a pair of Lewis-Eutsey buckets and a Te-Biasu step-back 3-pointer, to take a 42-40 lead
• The two teams remained within four points of each other for the majority of the fourth, until back-to-back layups by Te-Biasu and Asare, provided the Rams with a 54-48 cushion with 48 seconds remaining. After VCU forced a missed Saint Joseph's 3-point attempt, freshman forward Lucia Sotelo MIguez found herself unguarded off an inbounds play and laid the ball in to push the VCU lead to eight points and effectively secure the victory with 35 seconds on the clock
• VCU shot 44 percent (23-of-52) overall in the contest, including 4-of-10 from long distance

NOTABLE

• With Wednesday's win, O'Boyle surpassed former VCU Coach Beth Cunningham, who secured 167 victories from 2003-12
• The Rams have held 13 opponents to 50 points or less this season

NEXT UP
The Rams will start a two-game road swing on Saturday, Feb. 24 in Philadelphia, Pa. when they face off with La Salle at 2 p.m. at the Tom Gola Arena.