By Tyler Wahl
The Rams Women’s Basketball team easily swept by Rivier University in an 82-53 blowout Nov. 30.
Following Thanksgiving break, the Rams looked to continue their winning streak after two big wins over Lasell and Williams the week prior.
The first quarter was tightly contested on both sides, with Ive separate lead changes occurring within minutes of the first whistle. Both teams came out with impressive defense and good ball movement.
The Rams quickly set the precedent for the rest of the match, as they went on a 10-2 run to close the first quarter 19-11.
The team found their groove against Rivier by consistently attacking the basket. Instead of settling for outside jump shots, the team continuously pushed for tough buckets in the paint.
Sophomore forward Flannery O’Connor and senior guard Krysta Padellaro led the run as both of them scored tough buckets and drew multiple shooting fouls.
The Rams pushed their lead further in the second quarter when senior guard Camille Desrochers hit a bomb from behind the arc to make it 40-25.
Rivier still showed intensity in their gameplay in the second quarter despite falling 15 points behind. Although their effort was admirable, the Rams defense outshined the opposing offense.
Rivier racked up a total of 17 turnovers in the game compared to FSU’s five.
The Rams defense were forcing a lot of turnovers in the second quarter and took care of the ball extremely well, only allowing one steal from Rivier’s defense.
The Rams’ team chemistry was on full display in the second half, as the team continued to run up the score.
In the third quarter, the Rams were put up 51-28 by a pair of back-to-back three point shots from Desrochers.
The team maintained composure throughout the third and fourth to keep their massive lead and close out the game 82-53.
The story of this game can be seen through the statistics as well, as the Rams finished the night on 44% shooting compared to Rivier’s 32.7%.
Rivier was also outrebounded heavily by FSU, finishing the night with 10 less rebounds than the Rams.
Framingham State finished the game with a team total of 22 assists while Rivier finished with a measly nine.
The story of this game came down to which team worked better as a unit, and it’s apparent in the assist differential that FSU had superior team chemistry.
Nine-year Head Coach Walter Paschal spoke on the team’s chemistry after the game as well saying, “They play well together. They play hard together, and they all get along really well so if they continue to do that – we’ll be okay.”
Padellaro also praised her team after the game for their effort adding, “I think we all have our strengths whether it’s shooting, taking the lane, or posting up. ... I think that’s what’s working so well. It’s hard to stop teams when everyone is scoring.”
The Rams Women’s Basketball team looks to push their record to 6-1 on the season against Emerson on Saturday afternoon Dec. 4.