Statesmen Rally Late but Fall Short to CSM Hawks

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — Richard Bland College women's basketball battled to the final horn Wednesday night but came up short in a 65-71 loss to the College of Southern Maryland at home. The Statesmen drop to 3-12 overall, 2-8 in conference play.

The Hawks built an early advantage behind strong first-half shooting, taking a 31-42 lead into halftime. Richard Bland responded with its best stretch of the night in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 18–16 to trim the deficit and keep the game within reach heading into the final period.

The Statesmen continued to chip away in the fourth, cutting the margin to single digits and forcing key stops, but the College of Southern Maryland answered at the free-throw line down the stretch to secure the win.

Grace Riggs led Richard Bland with her sixth double-double of the season, posting 18 points and 11 rebounds, while also adding three assists and three steals. Hazel Veloz provided a spark from deep, knocking down four three-pointers on her way to 14 points. Arianna Zepeda contributed nine points and six assists, and Keeva Heggins added nine points off the bench.

As a team, Richard Bland finished with 38 rebounds and forced seven steals, continuing to show fight and energy despite the result.

The Statesmen will look to build on the positive stretches from Wednesday night as they continue conference play next Thursday, January 29^th on the road at Guilford Technical Community College. Tip-off is set for 5pm.

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