No. 1 Rhode Island Starters
Mbu, Syla, Vital, Gray, Debroise

No. 4 Davidson Starters
Timmerson, Donovan, Garcia Monje, Dunn, Bessell

How it Happened
Top-seeded Rhode Island advanced to the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship finals after defeating fourth-seeded Davidson 55-46 Saturday afternoon.

It is the second trip to the championship game in three years for the Rams, who set a single-season record for victories with their 27th of the season.

Rhode Island (27-4) surged in the second half, using a massive game from center Albina Syla to lead the way to the championship game.

No. 4 Davidson (21-11) jumped out to a 12-4 lead to start the game, taking advantage of three URI turnovers in the opening minutes. Charlise Dunn put the Wildcats on her back, scoring nine of the team's first 14 points. However, Rhode Island responded with a 10-2 run that featured 3-point baskets from Sophia Vital and Aimée Michel to knot the score. Davidson managed a slight 18-16 lead after the first quarter.

With Davidson up 22-18, Rhode Island went on a 5-0 run that featured another Michel 3-pointer. A Palmire Mbu layup gave the Rams a 23-22 lead midway through the second quarter. However, a spate of turnovers - four in a span of less than three minutes - stunted the momentum. Despite the turnovers and a shooting drought that led to no field goals for the final 5:32 of the quarter, Rhody was down just four points at halftime, 29-25.

Albina Syla scored a second-chance minutes at 8:21 of the third to snap Rhody's cold spell. With the Ram defense blanking Davidson for the first 3:21 of the half, Sophia Vital pulled the Rams even at 29-29 with two free throws. Davidson reclaimed the lead with a layup from Katie Donovan and another basket pushed its lead to four points. Back-to-back Syla baskets again tied the score at 33-33 for the Rams. Syla continued to assert her will, finishing the quarter with 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting to help Rhody carry a 41-38 lead into the final period.

The Rams built their first significant lead of the day with a 10-2 run to start the fourth quarter. Ines Debroise hit a 3-pointer to start the surge, and Sophia Vital added five points, including a 3-pointer of her own. The run put Rhode Island ahead 51-40. From there, Rhody held on and punched its ticket to the finals.

Inside the Box Score

• If Richmond beats George Mason in the semifinal battle between the Spiders and Patriots, Rhode Island and Richmond will meet in the championship game for the second time in three seasons. In 2024, Richmond beat URI 65-51 in the title game, which was also played in the Henrico Center.
• The winner of Sunday's game will earn the Atlantic 10's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship field. Rhode Island is looking for its first bid in 30 years, dating back to the 1995-96 season.
• In the first half, Davidson scored 11 points off eight URI turnovers.
• Albina Syla had a double-double, finishing with 22 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots.
• Sophia Vital added 10 points, four steals and three assists.
• Aimée Michel provided a spark in the first half She hit a pair of 3-pointers in a span of three minutes, hitting her first two shots of the game.

Up Next
Rhode Island will play the winner of No. 3 Richmond against No. 2 George Mason at 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon in the Atlantic 10 Championship game. Richmond and George Mason play in the second semifinal game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The championship game will air nationally on ESPN2 and will stream on audio via the Varsity Network.