Dec. 19, 2008

'Q’, WALLER LEAD RAMS PAST RADFORD, 74-51
Senior/Junior duo combine for 41 points, 12 rebounds, five steals
Box Score

RADFORD, Va. – Senior Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chesapeake, Va.) and junior Kita Waller (Gainesville, Ga.) both scored at least 20 points to lead the Virginia Commonwealth University women’s basketball team to a dominating 74-51 road victory over the Highlanders of Radford University on Friday evening.

The win is the third straight for the Black and Gold as it improves to 7-2, while Radford suffers its first home loss of the season and falls to 1-8.

Eight points from Waller sparked the Rams out of the gate as VCU claimed a 10-2 advantage with 16:02 remaining in the first half.

The Black and Gold held a decisive 17-4 advantage with 11:58 to play in the contest, meaning the Rams had given up a combined six points in the first eight minutes of play in the past three games.

After blistering the nets and going 8-for-11 to start the game, VCU went cold going 2-for-10 and saw Radford jumped right back in the game with a 10-1 run to get within six at 20-14 with 8:07 left before halftime.

The Rams rebounded with a 10-2 run of their own sparked by seven straight points from Hollingsworth as VCU headed into the intermission with a 35-19 advantage.

Hollingsworth started the second half much like she finished the first with seven points in the first four minutes as the Rams pushed their lead to 22 at 46-24 with 16:19 remaining in regulation.

Two three-pointers from Waller and another from freshman Jennifer Lane (Wichita, Kan.) helped extend the lead to 30 at 61-31 with 9:39 left in the contest.

Freshman Courtney Hurt (Conyers, Ga.) and junior D’Andra Moss (Atlanta, Ga.) maintained the Rams big lead for the rest of the game as Hurt tallied a career-high seven points and Moss recorded her first double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Hollingsworth was outstanding all-night long with a season-high 21 points, while grabbing seven rebounds, two blocks and a career-best four steals. Waller notched her second career 20-plus point game with 20 points, along with five rebounds and three assists. Both players shot a jaw-dropping 8-for-10 from the field.

VCU owned the glass as it posted its biggest rebounding margin this season with a 48-27 edge, thanks to four different players with at least six rebounds.

The Rams will make a quick turn around as they return to the hardwood on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., when the Eagles of N.C. Central University visit the Siegel Center.