Richards Scores 26, Royals Sets New Program Assists Record in UAlbany WBB 78-50 Win at UMass Lowell
Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
Coach Abe - Postgame Interview | Sarah Royals - Postgame Interview
LOWELL, Mass. – With a 48-18 start, the UAlbany women's basketball team dominated UMass Lowell on the road 78-50 on Sunday to stand alone in first place in the America East at 3-0.
UAlbany (10-6, 3-0 AE) is the last undefeated team left in the America East and, with today's win over UMass Lowell (7-8, 1-2 AE), has won its last 26 league road games. The Great Danes were 65.3% from the field, including 70.8% in the second half, holding UMass Lowell to 36.4% shooting.
“I thought it was a great team effort, we put together a good defensive strategy in this game,” said UAlbany coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who is just one win away from 200 as a head coach with a 199-100 record in her time at the helm of UAlbany and Missouri State. Our press was really good; they have two seniors that I think are great guards. When you come into a gym and they have go-to players, you have to know where they are.”
Shereesha Richards netted 26 points off 10-14 shooting, adding eight rebounds and four steals. It is the 26th game in her collegiate career that Richards has scored at least 20 points.
“We were poised, we just ran our offense and we didn't get rattled,” said Richards. “We tried to get our shots and everyone made contributions.”
Sarah Royals scored 16 points, shooting 6-7 from the field, with six assists and three steals. With her first assist of the game 1:27 in, she broke the UAlbany women's basketball assists record of Samantha Ginsberg. She currently stands with 381 assists in her collegiate career.
“It feels great, when you first come [to school], you don't think you are going to get any records, and it was great to keep my eyes on something going forward,” said Royals. “It was so easy to do with my teammates finishing so well.”
“She is something special, she has the grit and the guts and the toughness,” added Abrahamson-Henderson. “She is a lot like me in that she hates to lose and loves to win, and I am very proud of her.”
All 10 UAlbany active players took the floor for UAlbany. Zakiya Saunders finished with eight points and seven assists. Erin Coughlin scored nine points off 3-of-4 from behind the arc, while Cassandra Edwards scored five points and grabbed five boards.
For UMass Lowell, Lindsey Doucette led the team with 13 points and three steals. Jasmine McRoy nearly had a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
On the team's second possession, Royals kicked out to Saunders for the 15-foot jumper from off the elbow with 18:33 left in the 1st. This gave Royals her 376th assist to make her the UAlbany women's basketball all-time assists leader.
UMass Lowell, playing with a quick tempo, got into the paint for a couple of baskets. Richards tied it up with a layup, which was countered by a Jasmine McRoy wing three for a 7-4 home team lead.
UAlbany got back the lead with a couple of transition scores, with Edwards and Saunders hitting quick layups. Then, UAlbany went to the outside, with Royals and Coughlin netting baskets from the corner to complete a 10-0 run and push UAlbany ahead 14-7.
At 14-9, UAlbany looked to Tiana-Jo Carter for a layup. After Royals stole the ball, Carter rebounded a missed free throw and muscled her way underneath for another layup. A Royals free throw, an Edwards cleanup layup and a Royals floater from the baseline made it a 9-0 run, putting UAlbany up 23-9 with 9:20 left in the 1st.
Jontay Walton hit a couple of baskets, including one from up top the arc at the shot clock buzzer, to pull UMass Lowell back within single digits. UAlbany responded with another run off forcing turnovers and long missed shots. Started by a Saunders hop-step jumper, Richards added six points off a layup, two free throws and another layup, making the score UAlbany 31-14 with four minutes remaining in the period.
After being held without points for three minutes, UAlbany caught fire in the final minute with the full court press, starting with a Richards jumper and a couple of Royals free throws. Following a UML backcourt turnover, Coughlin hit the three from the corner with seven seconds remaining in the period to send UAlbany into the locker room up 38-18.
UAlbany continued its run into the second half, with Richards adding four points out of the gate. Imani Tate added three layups in succession to make the run 17-0 in all as UAlbany led 48-18 with 14:59 left. Dating back to the first half, UAlbany held UMass Lowell without points for 7:16.
The home team started finding success behind the arc, hitting four three-pointers in a span of two minutes, including a couple from McRoy. UAlbany got some points back from Richards, but the River Hawks pulled to within 21 with 6:25 left at 59-38 UAlbany.
The teams went back and forth with scoring as squads kept exchanging scores. At 69-48 UAlbany with 2:41 left, the Great Danes kept running and got loose in the paint for layups, hitting three in a row with Richards, Saunders and Royals in a row. UAlbany finished the game with the 78-50 victory.
UAlbany will take on SUNY rival Binghamton in Vestal on Wednesday, January 14th at 7 p.m.
