VCU GAMECENTER

Live Stats

Live Video

Live Blog

VCU Game Notes

RAMS HIT THE ROAD TO TAKE ON RADFORD
Black and Gold look to pick up third straight win
12-19-08

RADFORD, Va. – This time of year usually brings together family and friends to enjoy time with one another.

Virginia Commonwealth University Head Coach Beth Cunningham will get to do that very thing on Friday evening, except this time it will be on the hardwood not around the Christmas tree.

Cunningham and the Rams travel to the western part of the Commonwealth to take on former VCU assistant Tajama Ngongba and the Highlanders of Radford University in a 6 p.m. match-up on Friday evening.

Ngongba was an assistant under former VCU head man David Glass in 2002-2003 and then was hired as Cunningham’s top assistant in 2003-2004. She is in her first season with the Highlanders.

The Black and Gold enter contest looking to pick up its third straight win and it sixth in the past seven games.

After having eight days off to focus on final exams, the Rams came back on the hardwood with a dominating 71-43 victory over Morgan State on Monday night. Senior Radoslava Bachvarova (Varna, Bulgaria) led three in double-figures with a career-high 20 points with La’Tavia Rorie (Charlotte, N.C.) and Quanitra Hollingsworth (Chespeake, Va.) scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively.

On the year, Hollingsworth leads the way with 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, while Bachvarova is chipping in 11.9 ppg and junior Kita Waller (Gainesville, Ga.) is pouring in 10.0 ppg.

VCU is looking to pick up its seventh straight win over Radford, including a 67-52 victory at the Siegel Center last season. Waller and Rorie combined for 28 points, six rebounds and five assists in that contest.

Prior to the team’s shoot-around on Friday morning, VCUathletics.com sat down with Coach Cunningham to get her take on the match-up:

VCUathletics.com: After having eight days off for finals, the team has three games in seven days, what kind of challenges may that quick change in schedule cause for the team?

Cunningham: For our team to have 3 games in 7 days, it's a matter of focusing on one opponent at a time and then being able to make adjustments and know the scouting report/team tendencies for each particular game.  I think our rigorous schedule early on helps prepare us for this week.  Now that school is out, basketball can become their main focus.  It's about coming ready to play and having an intensity and focus every time we step on the court. 

VCUathletics.com: Radford's always a good in-state team. They are having a tough start, but what do you see from them that they excel at?

Cunningham: I don't think Radford's record is any indication of the kind of basketball team they have. They have played as difficult a schedule as anyone with all but one of those games having been on the road.  Radford has some very talented guards that we are going to have to try to control on both ends of the floor.  It will be critical for us to defensively try to limit them and at the same time, not allow their pressure to bother us on the offensive end of the floor.

VCUathletics.com: You have lots of ties and a good relationship with the new coach at Radford. Does it make it even more fun or mean even more when you’re coaching against a good friend?

Cunningham: Taj and I have developed a great on and off the court relationship over the years.  Our ties go back to our playing days in college when she was at George Washington and I was at Notre Dame.  We had an opportunity to work together at VCU, together as assistant coaches, and then she became my first hire as a head coach. Taj is a great person and someone I have a lot of respect for and admire.  I think because of our friendship, I don't think it makes it more fun, I think it makes it harder.  The part I will like best is getting a chance to see her and her family.     

VCUathletics.com: One thing that is obvious to me and I think a lot of fans is the ability for so many players to contribute night in and night out. I know we've talked about it a lot, but how much does that help your coaching staff when you have that kind of depth?

Cunningham: One of the biggest keys to the current and future success of this team is the ability to have quality contributions from everyone.  The more contributions we can get, the more versatility it gives our coaching staff with line-ups, match-ups, and so on.  It is critical for us to have balance and multiple weapons.  We have a number of different people that have proven and shown our depth and balance.  But yet as the season progresses, it will be important to continue to have those contributions and keep building the depth of this team. 

VCUathletics.com: Favorite Christmas movie?

Cunningham: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer