Score: La Salle 71, VCU 54
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 8-21 (4-13 A-10), La Salle 16-12 (9-8 A-10)
The short story: VCU trailed La Salle just 11-9 after the first quarter but La Salle used a 13-2 run to take a 37-20 halftime lead and held off the Rams at the Siegel Center on Wednesday.
OPENING TIP:
- VCU's Katarina Kneževic recorded her second career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds
- Ann Zachariah added 13 points off the bench on 6-for-11 shooting and grabbed 6 rebounds
- Lucy Ghaifan added 11 points and eight rebounds, while Ty Williams scored seven points and recorded a season-high four steals
- La Salle shot 43.3 percent 29-for-67 from the floor, while VCU shot 34.8 percent 24-for-69
- Despite the Rams' 26-13 advantage in bench points, La Salle outscored VCU 25-5 in points off turnovers
- La Salle's Aryss Macktoon led all scorers with a season-high 28 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- VCU opened the game on a 9-2 run but the Rams allowed a 9-0 La Salle run late in the first quarter to trail 11-9 heading into the second quarter
- The Explorers shot 66.7 percent 10-for-15 in the second quarter, while the Rams shot 31.3 percent 5-for-16, as La Salle used the momentum to build a double-digit halftime advantage at 37-20
- Both teams were nearly even in transition and inside, with La Salle recording 38 points in the paint and 17 fast-break points, compared to VCU's 34 points in the paint and 18 fast-break points
- La Salle and VCU went back-and-forth in the third quarter as La Salle held a 57-38 lead heading into the final 10 minutes
- VCU made a fourth-quarter push with an 11-0 run and cut the deficit to 61-49 midway through the quarter on a Lucy Ghaifan fastbreak layup. The Explorers responded with an 8-0 run to thwart any comeback attempt
UP NEXT: The Rams will close out the regular season at Dayton on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
