The Rams play on the court has helped them receive attention nationally with the USA Today poll. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, expectations were sky high for the Rhode Island Women’s Basketball team after having one of the best season in program history.
Now, 19 games into the season, the team is not only meeting those expectations but exceeding them. With a 60-46 road victory over UMass on Jan. 26th and 60-52 win at home against Saint Louis Wednesday, the Rams now sit at 17-3 (7-0 in A10) and have continued to shatter program records in a season full of success.
The win over the Minutewomen was a historic one in itself as it set the program record for consecutive wins, with the Rams earning their ninth-straight victory over UMass and extending that to ten against the Billikens. The win also marked the first time since the 2004-05 season that the Rams swept the season series against the Minutewomen.
Even before the win, Rhody had achieved a number of historic marks. One of those accolades happened just two days prior, as the Rams were given a vote in the USA Today National Women’s Basketball Top 25 Poll. It marked the first time in program history that the team had received any kind of recognition in a national poll.
Head Coach Tammi Reiss had seen the potential for this squad before conference play even started. After a 106-42 massacre of Merrimack College back on Nov. 12 that marked the largest margin of victory in program history and first time the team scored over 100 points in the Ryan Center, Reiss acknowledged that her team had an opportunity to impress.
“I tell these girls every day that they have a real chance to be special and do something that no one here has done before,” Reiss said. “But we have to continue to get better and stay focused on our goals.”
Fast forward to now, and Reiss’ team is in position to create some more history in Kingston. The Rams find themselves tied with Dayton atop the conference and with a real shot at a conference title and NCAA tournament bid. If they were to reach the “ Big Dance,” it would be just the second time that the program has done so and the first time since 1996. A conference title this year would be the first ever for the Rams.
With nine games left in the regular season, including two against Dayton, and the A-10 tournament in Wilmington, Del. looming, this squad has a legitimate shot at being the best squad the program has seen since its founding in 1975. Reiss has full confidence that her team can achieve what has never been accomplished in the program.
“This team is so talented and, what is more impressive, is how hard they work,” Reiss said. “They are so focused on basketball and each other and that combo of talent and focus is not easy to find. This team can do some really special things this season.”
The Rams will have another opportunity to add to their historic season on Sunday, when they begin a quick two-game swing in Philadelphia against La Salle University, with tip-off set for 2 p.m.