The following comes directly from VCU:
The Short Story: Sophomore Curteeona Brelove produced her second straight double-double and led five Rams in double figures as VCU improved to 9-2 with a 74-54 win over rival Old Dominion Saturday at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
OPENING TIP
- Brelove turned in a dominant performance with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
- Seniors Adaeze Alaeze and Jessica Ogunnorin added 12 points each for the Rams, while senior Chadarryl Clay provided 11 and sophomore guard Ashley Pegram kicked in 10.
- The VCU defense enjoyed another banner night, forcing 19 Lady Monarch turnovers. The Rams outscored ODU 28-9 off turnovers and 20-10 on second chance points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Alaeze drew a foul and made both shots to open the game with a 2-0 advantage.
- Pegram and Brelove made shots to close out the first quarter with a five-point lead.
- Later in the second, Isis Thorpe drained a trey to inch closer to the program’s all-time record, and Brelove added a layup to give VCU it’s largest lead of the contest at 25. Pegram made a layup in the closing seconds of the half to keep the advantage above 20.
- Alaeze made back-to-back shots to open the second half, making it a 39-24 game.
- ODU started to pull within reach, cutting the Ram’s lead to 11 in the third, but VCU would not yield, responding with a 7-0 run.
- Despite ODU’s efforts, the Rams were able to extend their inning streak to three.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Rams have won eight of 11 over the Lady Monarchs in the series.
- VCU outscored Old Dominion 36-22 in the paint and owned the glass to the tune of a 43-25 margin.
- The Rams outscored their opponent in every quarter, but the fourth.
- This is the team’s third straight victory by a margin of 20 or more points.
WHAT’S NEXT
- VCU will look to stay undefeated at home when the Rams return to the Siegel Center on Monday, Dec. 21 as they take on William & Mary. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
