VCU names Marlene Stollings head coach

VCU named Winthrop's Marlene Stollings as its head coach on Tuesday, and if her impact on the Rams is anything like the one she had during her lone season in charge of the Eagles, we enthusiastically approve of this hire.

Stallings will be formally introduced at a VCU press conference on Wednesday at 3 p.m. She replaces Beth Cunningham, the winningest coach in Rams history, who stepped down to take a position on Muffet McGraw's staff at Notre Dame.

The Winthrop bunch Stollings inherited last season wasn't just mediocre (13-18). It was mediocre and dull. Averaged just 51.5 points a game, 326th out of 333 Division I teams. Then Stollings showed up, and, not unlike Cynthia Cooper-Dyke at UNC Wilmington a few years ago, changed the culture and the team's fortunes in one offseason with essentially the same cast of characters. Thanks to a newly revved-up offense, the Eagles averaged nearly 20 points per game more than the previous year (69.6 ppg, 43rd in D-I). They established 45 team/individual "firsts" in the program's Division I era (since 1986). And they contended all season in the Big South - including scoring a win over conference heavyweight Liberty - en route to a third-place finish and an 18-13 mark. No one should have been surprised when Stollings was named Big South Coach of the Year.

Stollings' credentials runs much deeper than her one season at Winthrop. She still hold the Ohio high school record for career points (3,514). She ranked eighth in the nation in scoring as a senior at Ohio University. She then racked up 10 years of Division I assistant coaching experience, the last four at the SEC's Ole Miss. Her reputation as a top assistant was confirmed in 2010 by her invitation to the prestigious Villa 7 Consortium - held annually at VCU - which no doubt set the stage for her landing the Winthrop gig a year later.

Of course, every new coach's resume sounds good at the opening press conference. The key with Stollings is that when finally given a chance to run her own program, her results matched the resume.

Stollings will be wading into another rebuilding situation at VCU. For the first time in several years, the Rams appear to be approaching a season without at least one WNBA-caliber performer around which to build. Furthermore, VCU's move to the Atlantic 10, which will include 16 teams this season, puts the Rams in a league top-heavy with quality teams. Remember, VCU was the sixth seed in the CAA Tournament despite having Courtney Hurt and Andrea Barbour. Without those two, we fear the Rams will be hard-pressed to finish in the top half of their new conference.

Then again, this time last year we didn't think much of Winthrop's Big South chances, either.

Stollings already appears to have one assistant coach in place - former Ohio Dominican head coach Nathan Bellman, who announced his resignation on Monday. Bellman and Stollings were assistants on the same staff at Wright State a few years ago.

Jennifer Lane leaves VCU team

Senior Jennifer Lane, who was a fixture for VCU at point guard from the day she arrived on campus until early this season, has left the program, the school announced Monday.

"In talking with Jen, we felt that, at this point in the semester, it is in her best interest to focus on class work and to limit the distractions and commitment that are required of a student-athlete," Rams coach Beth Cunningham said in a statement. "We will, of course, continue to support Jen in this process. It is our ultimate goal for her to receive a degree, which she is on track to complete. We appreciate the contributions she has made during her three and a half years at VCU and we wish her the best of luck."

A Wichita, Kan., native, Lane started the first 94 games of her college career, a streak that lasted until Senior Day in 2011. The 5-8 guard began the season having started 98 of her team's 99 games, and was on the floor at tipoff for the first six this season.

Lane. who saw time in only 18 of VCU's 28 games this season, did not participate in Sunday's Senior Day ceremonies. She finishes her career with 410 assists, sixth all time for the Rams.

VCU's Hurt: Not just good -- the word is great

Courtney Hurt has heard the John Mellencamp reference many times.

"Hurt's so good."

It's Senior Day for VCU (the Rams host George Mason at 2 pm at the Siegel Center), and we're hear to tell you Hurt's not so good. She's great. Great, and frankly, overlooked.

We're guilty of it, too. A year ago when Hurt emerged as not just a good player on the Rams, but a force on the national level, there were other story lines to follow in the CAA. Dawn Evans and Elena Delle Donne didn't just have amazing seasons. They had compelling stories (kidney and Lyme disease, respectively) behind the numbers that dominated the limelight.

Hurt, well, she just kept putting up the numbers. Big numbers. And her story was how did we get here? As a sophomore, her numbers were nice (13.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg). As a junior, her numbers were All-American worthy: 23.2 ppg and 12.4 rpg.

The trend continues this season.

Hurt, averaging 22.2 ppt and 12.9 rpg, is the only player in Division I to rank in the top 10 of both of those categories. Her career marks leave us to conclude she may be the best player to ever wear a Rams uniform.

Consider:

Hurt is VCU's all-time leading scorer (1,935 points) and rebounder (1,142). She holds the school record in free throws (474) and in games played (124). Hurt is three double-doubles away from matching the program's all-time mark of 55 (held by Quanitra Hollingsworth). She could become the first VCU player and sixth player in CAA history to score 2,000 points.

In addition, Hurt's 720 points last season shattered the single-season record for points. This season she netted a school-record 40 points in a 78-70 victory at Missouri-Kansas City.

Stunning statistics that leave no doubt that her No. 44 jersey will be the fourth retired alongside those of Kelly Hoover, Kristine Austgulen and Quanitra Hollingsworth. We asked Hurt about all the emotions that come with Senior Day.

It's a bittersweet moment for me. I love VCU and all it has to offer, but I'm ready for the next step in my life. I will miss the people here at VCU and especially my VCU basketball family. I'm excited about potentially playing here in the United States or somewhere else overseas. I want to play basketball for as long as I can! But as of right now, I'm focused on my team as a senior leader on the court and making a lot of noise in the CAA Tournament. This is my last shot, so it's now or never.


Despite the numbers, Hurt is still playing out a relatively quiet career given her accomplishments. She will not be CAA Player of the Year given what Delle Donne has achieved at Delaware. And she doesn't have the physical stature to command the attention of a Delle Donne or Brittney Griner. VCU lists Hurt as 6-1, but we'd bet she's closer to 5-11, which makes it even more impressive that she can dominate a game in the manner she does. Her hands are soft, her footwork impeccable and her timing for being in the right place at the right time to rebound the ball is extraordinary.

So you see Hurt's not just good. She's the Rams best and arguably the program's best ever. And we're not stretching it to say she's among the NCAA's best, too.

RANDOMNESS with VCU's Andrea Barbour

Thanks to Virginia Commonwealth's Andrea Barbour for participating in the latest edition of LadySwish RANDOMNESS. The redshirt senior, a 5-10 shooting guard, averages 16.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Prior to her career at VCU, Barbour made the ACC Rookie Team during a freshman year at Virginia Tech when she averaged 15 ppg. She ultimately transferred to Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, where the basketball program was dormant for two years. In her second year there, the program started again with Barbour leading the Division II Patriots to the national title game (while at PHCC, she even recorded a triple-double 32 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds). Barbour will graduate from VCU in May.

One word to describe you: Quiet

In your spare time, you enjoy? I like to chill. I'm really laid back. I like watching ESPN and "Law and Order SVU."

Your favorite spot on the VCU campus? I like the food place that has Raising Cane's and IHOP.

Favorite food? Chicken and seafood.

On your iPod? Rihanna, Drake, Jessie J., Beyonce

Pre-game song: I like to listen to slow music. I don't like all that hype. Sometimes it'll be Pandora; sometimes that Chris Brown station.

Favorite movie? "Salt" with Angelina Jolie


Secret indulgence: I like soap operas (especially the CBS ones no longer on the air, including "As the World Turns" and "Guiding Light.")

Was it always basketball? Always. I used to stay late at the park and play with the boys.

You took a circuitous route to get to VCU. What did you learn along the way? "I've matured a lot since my first year. Maturity is the big thing. I always knew I would come back to basketball."

Favorite basketball memory? Going to the state finals when I was in high school. (Barbour was Group AA Player of the Year at Charlottesville High. She was also a McDonald's All-American semifinalist her senior  year.)


Who do you enjoy watching? I like Kobe Bryant. I like Deanna Nolan and Angel McCoughtry, Seimone Augustus, Matee Ajavon and Cappie Pondexter.

If you could dine with three people, who would they be? Beyonce, Kobe and Michael Jordan.


Goal for the rest of the season: We've got four seniors. We just want to finish out strong.

VCU's Beth Cunningham loving motherhood

She favors Dad. But father Dan Cunningham confesses Margaret Jane Cunningham has her mother's laid-back disposition.

Margaret Jane was born Aug. 24. If you've been to a VCU game this season, you probably saw Margaret and her dad sitting behind the Rams bench. Margaret is an active spectator, who barely stirs despite sitting adjacent to the blaring college band.

"She's great!" beams VCU coach Beth Cunningham, cradling her daughter outside the team locker room post game. Typical mom - Beth's first question for Dan is, "Has she eaten?"

"Just fed," Dan assures.

Being a head basketball coach can be consuming, exhausting and drain you of every last ounce. Add a newborn to the mix and the first question has to be, "How do you make it all work?" Beth has made it look easy (OK, almost easy), Dan says.

"It has really been a lot of fun watching my wife become a mother," he says. "I'm so tired, and she goes to bed after I do and I get up after she does. She has 15 kids plus one. I literally don't know how she does it."

Growing up in Bloomington, Ind., Beth says coming from a big family helped her adjust to motherhood. "There were five of us, and I had a lot of younger siblings," Beth said. "I was used to helping take care of my younger brothers. Obviously, there's a big difference with your own. But I had that comfort level with kids."

Margaret has cooperated well.

"She's made it as easy as she can make it," Beth says. "She's such a good baby. She's sleeping through the night. She's structured and really true to her schedule, and that's helped  -- knowing from day to day what to expect."

What road trip has been hard?

"They're all hard," Beth says. "Anytime she doesn't come, it's hard."

Not that Margaret misses many Rams games. Baby's first Christmas was in Miami (VCU played Morgan State and Miami) and Margaret went to George Mason. Beth's mom, who used to plan her visits around VCU home games, will often travel east for road games instead to relieve Dan.

The Rams love her and aren't reluctant to scoop her off Beth or Dan's laps -- unless.....

"Diaper change, crying -- then they give her back," Dan jokes.

Former Ram Quanitra Hollingsworth visited Beth in the hospital when Margaret was born, and Q's mother cooed over Margaret at Sunday's ODU/VCU game in Norfolk. The players also nicknamed Margaret "MJ" before she left the hospital. At this point, Beth isn't speculating on where MJ might go to college: Notre Dame (Dan and Beth's alma mater) or VCU.

Smiling, Beth says, "We'll leave that up to her."

VCU's Q a force in Euroleague

VCU's Q, playing in Hungary, is on a roll.

Noted Laszlo Vinko Group in its recent recap of the Euroleague season:

Quanitra Hollingsworth (Uni Seat Gyor) proved this year that she is one of the most dominant players in the Euroleague. The American center recorded six double-doubles with 14.8 ppg and 10.1 rpg (second best in the Euroleague) while on the defense end had many blocked shots. She was a feared force.

Q, by the way is second in rebounding in the league to Cheryl Ford (12.2 rpg) and 15th in scoring (Diana Taurasi leads with 21 ppg. She also boasts the No 3 FG percentage in the league at 61.8 percent and her six double-doubles is tops in the league.

The CAA mid-season report

You gave us your thoughts. We combined them with our thoughts. And here is the LadySwish midterm for what's happened in the CAA so far.

All-CAA

Player of the Year: Elena Delle Donne
A good case can be made that, at least statistically, Delle Donne is having the finest season of any player in the country. More importantly, she's been at her absolute best on the few occasions in which the Blue Hens have been threatened.

First team

Delle Donne: see above.
 

Courtney Hurt

Courtney Hurt, VCU: Rebounding machine is averaging a whopping 13.3 boards in 10 conference games.

Shante Evans, Hofstra: Joins Hurt and Delle Donne as the only players to average a double-double in conference play.

Tia Lewis, Old Dominion: Has blossomed from really good to great in a year when the Lady Monarchs really needed her to.


Taleia Moton, George Mason: Averaging 24.0 ppg on 50.3 percent shooting against CAA foes.

Second team

Emily Correal, William and Mary: Produces (13.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg in CAA play) while also handling most of the dirty work inside. Teammate Janine Aldridge would be a worthy pick here, too.

Nikki Newman, JMU: Defender deluxe, mistress of the art of defusing the league's most potent forwards.

Hollie Mershon, Drexel: Teammate Kamile Nacickaite scores more points, but Mershon has been the better all-around player.

Jewel Tunstull, Northeastern: Sophomore has seemingly come out of nowhere to become the league's most accurate shooter as well as a high-volume rebounder.

Candice Bellocchio, Hofstra: The triggerwoman of the Pride's high-octane attack (7.3 apg in CAA play), a task she often executes in spectacular fashion.

Rookie of the Year

Ashley Betz-White

1. Ashley Betz-White, Old Dominion: From running the team to virtually never coming off the floor to often being one of the primary scorers, no freshman has more on her plate. Still, Betz-White has handled it well enough to earn conference rookie of the week honors a league-high four times.

1A. Toia Giggetts, James Madison: In CAA play, the former Lake Taylor High star has been just as productive and slightly more efficient than Betz-White in just over half the playing time.

Coach of the Year

Tina Martin, Delaware: There's a lot more to this than simply saying, "Get the ball to Elena and get the hell out of her way!" A whole lot more.

Overachievers:

Delaware: Can a team that was picked to win the league actually overachieve? We think so. The Hens (19-1) looked primed to run the tables behind a player that belongs on the same list as Brittney Griner and Nnemkadi Ogwumike. At the beginning of the season it looked as if the Hens were merely the best team in the league. Now all signs point to this being the CAA's best NCAA Tournament entry since the 2001-02 Old Dominion team that advanced to the Elite Eight and was stopped only by an undefeated Sue Bird/Diana Taurasi-led UConn squad many hail as the best in women's college basketball history.

James Madison: Yep, the Towson loss was a downer, and we didn't think Drexel would beat them. But remember a year ago in the Dukes box score, the kids with the glaring numbers were Dawn Evans, Lauren Jimenez and Courtney Hamner? We like how this group has gelled, and while we're talking about overachieving, how about Kirby Burkholder, who scored a total of 31 points last season? As for defense, we didn't see JMU holding teams to 34 percent shooting

Underachievers

VCU: Unlike Delaware, where Tina Martin has developed an ideal blend of talent to surround her superstar, injuries, inexperience and other factors have Beth Cunningham still searching for the right mix to support twin studs Hurt and Andrea Barbour. Recent results have been encouraging, though, and there's still time for the Rams to make a title push.

William and Mary: Player for player, the Tribe are as talented and experienced as any team in the league. We wouldn't have been shocked if they had gotten off to an 8-2 start. We're stunned to see them at 2-8. Call us crazy, but we still believe this group can be a factor.

Most improved

Kirby Burkholder

Taleia Moton, George Mason. Her arms must be tired from carrying the Patriots offense, particularly in several spectacular second halves. A year ago, tiny Taleia averaged 12.2 points on 31.6 percent shooting. Now she's at 22 points per, and only the great Delle Donne (39.9) scores a higher percentage of her team's points (34.6).

Jewel Tunstull, Northeastern: Last year's numbers: 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds. This year's numbers: 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds. The defense rests, your honor.

Abria Trice, UNC Wilmington. Another sophomore enjoying a breakout season, Trice averaged just 2.4 points as a freshman but has produced 20-point games twice in the last two weeks.

Kirby Burkholder, James Madison: Did you see the part about scoring 31 points in all the  2010-11 season?

Whatever happened to....

Jennifer Lane, VCU: The senior point guard started all but one of the 105 games in her Rams career and averaged more than 30 minutes per contest. Then a violation of team rules occurred, and Lane didn't appear in VCU's next six games. Since then, she's logged double-digit minutes just once in 9 games, played 9 minutes or less in seven straight and hasn't played at all twice. At this point, it's a stunningly quiet ending to a distinguished career.

Best game

Delaware 72, JMU 65: The Dukes spent the first 30 minutes showing how good they can be. The Blue Hens spent the final 10 minutes showing how good they already are.

Biggest upset

Towson 66, James Madison 58: The Tigers have only one win over a team in the RPI Top 100; this is it. Game exposed JMU's vulnerability on nights when their shots aren't falling - but only when an opponent can execute down the stretch.

Wish we were there for....

Hofstra 100, William and Mary 97: We could have enjoyed women's basketball and gotten our NBA fix with the same ticket.

Glad we weren't there for....

JMU 50, William and Mary 40: Wait a minute, we were there, and no offense, guys, but, ugh. You see, we always go into games involving two state teams hoping both play well. But it was tough watching JMU throw up brick after brick most of the time. And it was even tougher to watch the Tribe go the final 12-plus minutes with just one basket against a good but not overly aggressive JMU zone defense.

Four players to keep an eye on

Amber Easter

Jo Guilford, Old Dominion: Last week's 20-point explosion against George Mason gave Lady Monarchs fans a taste of the big-time production the talented junior is capable of providing.

Jessica Freeman, UNC Wilmington: Has really blossomed as an efficient 3-point shooter and double-figures scorer over the past few weeks.

Jasmine Gill, JMU: Potentially the most dynamic offensive player on a team that could really use a dynamic offensive player.

Amber Easter, George Mason: Patriots coach Jeri Porter has said Easter is capable of getting a double-double every night, and we believe her. If Easter starts believing her, watch out.

Storylines for the rest of the season

The CAA: Count 'em. How many teams do you see in the postseason (remember you have to have a winning record to get into the WNIT)? Here's the dream scenario: Delaware, JMU and Hofstra -- three teams in for only the second time in league history. Drexel, Towson and VCU in the WNIT. George Mason in the WBI.

Delaware: Can they sweep? The key weekend is Feb. 16 and 19 with games at Hofstra and Drexel.

Old Dominion: We were really worried about these guys in late December. But they stayed the course and have improved to the point where if they can display a bit more poise at the end of games, they could loom as a dangerous team in the conference tournament.

James Madison: Love their defense. Now about that scoring ....

Hofstra: Will they sprint to the finish behind the kind of transition game most coaches would envy?

George Mason: Go figure the Thursday win at Drexel. Moton's MVP-like season in a league where EDD doesn't exist adds a whole new dimension to these Patriots.

VCU: These seniors were in the NCAA Tournament as freshmen. Can they find the consistency to make it back to the postseason.

Georgia State: Youth growing up, but we don't think they'll mature in time to make a run.

Towson: Tigers are on a three-game slide, but given that win over JMU, it's hard to count them out of the upset picture.

William and Mary: We know they can shine in the 20 minutes. Imagine if that gleam carried over to the second 20 minutes.

UNC Wilmington: Now that Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has whipped the new-look Seahawks into shape, can this team get enough rebounding to make some serious noise in March?

Northeastern: The Huskies have some good upperclassmen, a talented sophomore (Tunstull) and some quality freshmen. Why doesn't this mix yield better results?

VCU recruit Winter: ballin' and bloggin'

South Shore High (N.Y.) senior and VCU verbal commit Jenice Winter says she's considering a future in journalism, which endears her to us before she even sets foot in the Commonwealth. Last month, she displayed her passion for writing by blogging about her experiences on the AAU summer circuit for the Brooklyn Daily.

She also detailed why she's so stoked about playing for VCU next fall:

"I committed because what they were offering me was something I just couldn't pass up, and the chemistry between me and the coaches on the visit just clicked. Another reason for my commitment was that every player that attends VCU, their game has developed from when they first arrived. Also, the facility was amazing. Words can't explain. I'm very excited and I'm looking forward to my years in that VCU uniform."

Hmmm.... Potential player-blogger for LadySwish, perhaps? Hey, Jenice, let's talk.

Ex-VCU guard Brewer now at Mt. St. Mary's

Former VCU guard Jackie Brewer, the first Rams freshman to earn CAA All-Rookie honors in five years, has transferred to Mount. St. Mary's. Brewer will have three years of eligibility at the Mount after sitting out the 2011-12 campaign.

"Jackie is a player we recruited out of high school and we are happy that she has decided to join our basketball family now," Mount St. Mary's coach Bryan Whitten said. "Plain and simple, Jackie can score. She shoots the three and has a good pull-up. Defenses have to pay attention to where she is and that will provide her teammates some opportunities. Even though she cannot play this season, she can practice with us and playing against her daily will help our team improve."

A Winchester native, Brewer displayed star-stuff right out of the box for the Rams last season, scoring 11 points in her college debut and picking up conference co-rookie of the week honors after a 14-point effort against Virginia Tech. But Brewer's minutes/productivity may have been the one casualty of the otherwise spectacular re-emergence of All-CAA teammate Andrea Barbour. Brewer played in 29 minutes in the game before Barbour, a transfer, established her eligibility, and 20 in Barbour's Rams debut on Dec. 23 at Radford. Brewer did not play more than 14 minutes in any game the rest of the season and logged single-digit minutes in 12 of her last 14 games.

Brewer finished the season averaging 4.2 points and was third on the team with 19 3-pointers. She was the first VCU freshman to make the all-rookie team since Quanitra Hollingsworth in 2006.

VCU picks up 2012 verbal commitment

The trickle of 2012 commitments continues last weekend when Jenice Winter, a 5-10 forward from South Shore High in New York, pledged verbal allegiance to VCU.  The Rams no doubt like Winter because she's an athletic workaholic who has gotten significantly better every year. We like Winter because she loves journalism and dreams of being a sportswriter. Note to Jenice - Unfortunately, there are only about 12 sportswriting jobs left in America. So by all means follow your dreams, but you may want to consider a minor in something like healthcare systems or computer programming, just in case.

Now we're not going to pretend to be recruiting analysts and break down Winters' game - heck, we've never even seen her play. But one way we gauge the quality of a recruit is to look at who else wanted her. According to the New York Post, Winter also had offers from Seton Hall (sorry, Anne Donovan), Delaware (oops, Tina Martin), Wagner and Manhattan. Fairly decent company, we'd say. Any recruiting win over a Big East school has to qualify as a good catch.

Then again, high school resumes are nice but the most important factor in whether Winter will be an collegiate impact player will be how well she develops once she arrives in Richmond. VCU coach Beth Cunningham has an excellent track record in this regard, so while it appears as though the Rams made a good decision, we think Winter did, too.

Cunningham gets the call from the Hall

We figure Friday's Hall of Fame induction is the first of many for VCU coach Beth Cunningham.

Cunningham will be inducted into the Monroe Country Sports Hall of Fame in her hometown of Bloomington, Ind. The former Notre Dame star, whose 148 career wins are the most of any coach at VCU, is part of an inaugural class of 15 inductees, including seven Olympians.

"When you think of all the quality athletes and coaches who have come through Monroe County, it's quite an honor that someone thinks highly enough of me to include me in the inaugural class," Cunningham said. "Playing sports was such a big part of my life and had so much influence on me when I was growing up. When something like this happens, years later, and you realize that maybe somewhere along the line you've done something to cause those people to remember you, it's just a very, very nice feeling."

Beth Morgan

Cunningham is a legend of sorts in her hometown having finished her high school basketball career at Bloomington South as the school's all-time leading scorer while garnering all-state honors in both basketball and tennis. She holds the career scoring record at Notre Dame (2,322 points) and was part of three NCAA Tournament teams, including 1997 (her Irish team lost to Tennessee in the national semifinals; the Lady Vols went on to beat ODU. Lady Monarch fans should remember the kid with all that hair, who was Beth Morgan then.)

Cunningham was instrumental in the Irish's rise to their current status as one of the nation's elite programs. She averaged better than 18 points per game during her four seasons, earned four All-America honors, and still holds the school's career scoring record (2,322 points). Cunningham was part of three NCAA Tournament squads including the program's first-ever Final Four in 1997.

VCU's Hurt: Overlooked and underappreciated

What about Courtney Hurt? Dare we call her the most overlooked player in the country?

The Final Four-bound VCU men are the talk of the nation and deservedly so. Hurt, on the other hand, isn't even a blip on the postseason accolade radar.

The WBCA issued a "watch list" last week with 40 names on it for its All-American team (anyone else wonder why, at the end of March, the list is only narrowed down to 40?). Hurt isn't on that list.

The 6-1 forward led the nation in rebounding (12.7 rpg) and was second in the nation in scoring (23.2 ppg). She is also the NCAA leader in double-doubles with 30. She shot 45 percent from the field and averaged 34 minutes, amassing 720 points all by her lonesome this season.

Not even a mention for Hurt alongside Michigan State's Kalisha Keane (16.1 ppg, 5 rpg) or Iowa's Kachine Alexander (14.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg)? No disrespect to those players or anyone else on the WBCA list, but why the snub for Hurt? VCU finished 19-12, sweeping Old Dominion and recording a victory over UNC Wilmington. The Rams fell in the CAA Tournament semifinals and advanced to the WNIT. Early in the season, prior to Andrea Barbour becoming eligible, Hurt was the Rams offense. Her trademark was her consistency, which never wavered with or without Barbour in the lineup.

We think she put together a pretty impressive year, and certainly a good enough one to among the 40 players considered for All-American.

Virginia is the state's sole survivor in the WNIT

VCU and Richmond ended their seasons on Thursday with first-round losses in the WNIT. That leaves Virginia as the lone state survivor in the tournament; the Cavaliers move on to play Loyola-Maryland, which dispatched Old Dominion on Wednesday behind a buzzer beater.

Virginia 69, Morgan State 56
As glad as we are that Debbie Ryan is going to be coaching another game, we're disappointed by one statistic in this box score, and that is attendance. A mere 1,124 turned out at John Paul Jones Arena for what could be the final game for Ryan in Charlottesville (the arena is hosting first and second NCAA Tournament rounds this weekend). The idea of Ryan finishing up her coaching days in the WNIT is disturbing enough, but this was an occasion that could have allowed the longtime Cavalier fans to show appreciation for the woman who molded the program for the last 34 years. We would have liked to have seen Virginia against Old Dominion here -- Wendy Larry and Debbie Ryan coaching on court for the last time -- but the Lady Monarchs lost to a Loyola team that had never won a postseason game. Cavs travel to Loyola for a 4 p.m. Sunday contest at Reitz Arena. We'd love to see them win another for Debbie.

St. Joseph's 72, VCU 66
Courtney Hurt scored 26 and Andrea Barbour had16, but the Rams couldn't overcome a 51 percent shooting effort by the Hawks (20-11). While this obviously isn't the result Beth Cunningham wanted, we have to think she's pretty pleased with a season that included a sweep of ODU and a loss to JMU in the CAA Tournament semifinals. Next year Hurt and Barbour are back, so watch out for the Rams (19-12).

UNC Wilmington 63, Richmond 54
We don't want to keep harping on attendance -- this is the WNIT -- but we hate that Brittani Shells and Crystal Goring played their final games as Spiders in front of 249. Richmond came in 4-0 versus CAA opponents this season, but the veteran-laden Seahawks muscled their way to a second round game against Eastern Michigan, taking advantage of 32 Richmond turnovers. Wilmington went to the line 27 times; Richmond (18-12) went there 11. As much as we like that the WNIT allows good teams to continue their seasons, some teams cannot muster up the fight to keep going. Shells ends her career as Richmond's second all-time leading scorer (2,042 points) and No. 1 in steals (300).