The Rams’ historic season came to an unfortunate end after a cold shooting night in the first round of the WNIT. PHOTO CREDIT: Siobhan Richards | Contributing Photographer
The first postseason win in University of Rhode Island women’s basketball program history will have to wait at least one more season.
In the second-ever postseason appearance Friday night, the team lost in the opening round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) 61-50 to Quinnipiac University, marking the end of their 2021-22 campaign.
The Rams finished the season with a program-best 22 wins, going 22-7 overall and finishing second in the Atlantic 10 conference. The team also hit a number of other milestones for the first time, including their best start to a season (7-0), longest winning streak (13 games), and receiving national votes for the first time in both the USA Today Coaches and the AP Top 25 Poll.
After the game, Head Coach Tammi Reiss expressed her love for her team and what it meant to get to this point.
“It’s hard to say goodbye to this group,” she said, holding back tears. “I really wanted them to go out on top and they didn’t get to. And it hurts my heart, because I love these kids. You never think it’s going to end, and it does.”
Rhody suffered from a poor shooting performance in the defeat as they were held to just 29 percent from the field (19-65). Sophomore Dolly Cairns, the Rams’ best three-point shooter all season, was held to 0-for-9 shooting and 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Quinnipiac also took advantage of a strong performance in the third quarter. The Bobcats outscored Rhody 19-9 in the first 10 minutes following halftime and were able to hold on the rest of the way.
“In [the] postseason, you’ve got to score,” Reiss said. “Not that we gave up a lot of points, but we just couldn’t score today.”
After URI picked up the first basket of the game, the Bobcats jumped out in front, going on a 7-0 scoring run to lead 7-2 with 6:35 left in the first quarter. The Rams recovered after that, and a quick five-point effort from graduate Marta Vargas off the bench helped cut the deficit to 16-14 after the first period.
Both teams kept it close in the second, but Rhody took control towards the end, going into the locker room with a 26-23 lead. The home team got a big boost from the bench in the first half, with Vargas and freshman Emmi Rinat combining for 10 points and two of the team’s three 3-point makes.
Despite a strong-first half performance, it was all Quinnipiac in the second half. Both Vargas and Rinat were held scoreless the rest of the way, while the rest of the team was held to just eight made field goals in the second half. The Bobcats led by as much as 13 late in the fourth quarter in a game where they trailed for just over seven minutes in the first half.
While Rhody had been able to put up consistent scoring and wins throughout the season, Reiss believes the longevity of the season may have hurt their performance in the last few games.
“I wanted them to keep going, keep getting the firsts for them,” she said. “But I think they were dog tired, I really do.”
When looking ahead to the future, Reiss and her staff have already begun the process of recruiting for the 2022-23 season, going through their options for upcoming recruiting classes as well as the transfer portal over the last two weeks. As for Reiss herself, who was rumored to be a top candidate at her alma mater, the University of Virginia, she has her sights set on returning to complete unfinished business in Kingston.
“I’m probably going to be here 99 percent,” she said. “For me, it’s quality and fit of where you are in your life and what’s important to you. And also who really wants you. Who fights for you. There’s no one that fights harder for me than [Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn]. From day one.”
For Reiss and the team moving forward, it’s championship or bust.
“We haven’t done anything here yet, we haven’t reached our goal. We haven’t. We want to bring championships to Kingston.”