Women's Basketball
Rams Drop 80-71 Decision at Holy Cross
Jan. 5, 2010
Box Score | Postgame Interviews
WORCESTER, Mass. - The Rhode Island women's basketball team had four players score in double figures but it was not enough as the Rams fell to Holy Cross, 80-71, Tuesday night at the Hart Center.
Senior Lindsay Harris recorded her fifth consecutive double-double in the loss, matching her career-best with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Ashley Rivera added 20 points and five assists while sophomore Lara Gaspar narrowly missed a double-double with 15 points and nine boards. Senior Andrea Buck rounded out URI's double-digit performers as she finished with 10 points.
Defensively, freshman Anisha Wilson came off the bench to lead all players with three steals while dishing out a game-high six assists.
Rhode Island out-rebounded the Crusaders (34-30) while scoring 21 points off of 16 Holy Cross turnovers. The Rams also turned the ball over a season-low 11 times.
Briana McFadden and Bethany O'Dell led the way for the Crusaders, netting 27 and 24 points, respectively. The two combined to go 11-of-14 from long range.
URI (7-8) came out and hit five of their first six shots to lead 11-6 after three and a half minutes of play. An offensive rebound and quick layup by Harris gave Rhody its largest lead of the half (seven points) and made the score 17-10.
The Crusaders' (4-11) Bethany O'Dell then hit her next three attempts from beyond the arc amidst a 14-3 run that gave Holy Cross a 24-20 advantage midway through the first half. HC then used a 13-4 push to go up 37-24 with 4:49 left to play before closing out the frame with a 42-31 advantage.
The Rams opened the second half with six straight points to cut their deficit to four (42-38), but Holy Cross responded with 12 unanswered points to take a 54-38 lead with 15:11 remaining. The Crusaders pushed their lead to 60-43 over the next three minutes before a pair of free throws by Rivera capped a 12-2 Rhody run that got URI to within seven (62-55).
Rhody made it a six-point game twice more - once after a pair of foul shots by Harris (65-59) and again after a basket by Gaspar (71-65) - but was unable to get any closer as Holy Cross hung on for the 80-71 win.
Rhode Island returns to action on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Massachusetts for a 2 p.m. meeting with the Minutewomen. The game will be the Atlantic 10 opener for both squads.
