Spiders’ Balanced Attack Secures Victory Over Lions 85-76

(Henrico, VA) – The Richmond Spiders women's basketball team returned to the Henrico Sports and Events Center on Sunday for the first time since capturing the A-10 Women's Tournament title last March. The Spiders defeated the Columbia Lions 86-75 in a thrilling matchup, shooting 65% from the field (34-52). All five Spiders starters scored in double figures, with Maggie Doogan leading the charge with 21 points. Columbia's Kitty Henderson led the Lions with 21 points.

Katie Hill put the Spiders on the board in the game's opening minute, but Perri Page responded for the Lions with a layup and two free throws to tie the game at 4-4 with 7:43 left in the first quarter. The Spiders countered quickly as Maggie Doogan's layup and Addie Budnik's three-pointer gave them a 9-4 lead. Budnik continued her hot start by hitting a three-pointer and adding a layup to extend the lead to 14-6 with 5:45 remaining in the first quarter. Budnik’s three-pointer gave the Spiders their largest lead at 27-15.

The Lions roared back, with Cecelia Collins hitting a three-pointer and Mia Broom adding a jumper to cut the Spiders' lead to 27-20 by the end of the first quarter.

Kitty Henderson’s layup early in the second quarter capped a 7-0 run for the Lions, trimming the deficit to 27-22. Riley Weiss hit a three-pointer with 6:26 left in the second quarter to bring Columbia within one point at 28-27. However, the Spiders responded with layups from Katie Hill and Maggie Doogan, followed by a Doogan three-pointer to push the lead back to 35-27.

Columbia kept fighting, with Weiss connecting on another three-pointer and Collins adding a jumper to pull within three, 39-36, in the half's closing seconds. Hill's buzzer-beating jumper gave the Spiders a 43-38 lead heading into the locker room.

The Lions came out strong in the third quarter, with Cecelia Collins' layup cutting the lead to 43-42. But the Spiders regained control with contributions from Rachel Ullstrom and a three-pointer by Budnik, extending their lead to 48-42. Ally Sweeney’s layup pushed the Spiders ahead 53-45, but Columbia answered again. A jumper from Collins, a Weiss three-pointer, and a Page layup brought the Lions within one at 53-52. Sweeney’s layup, with 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter, gave Richmond a 60-56 advantage in the final period.

Columbia’s Mia Broom hit a three-pointer in the fourth quarter to cut the Spiders' lead to 65-61 with 8:40 remaining in the 4th quarter. Richmond then unleashed a decisive 10-0 run, fueled by two three-pointers from Ullstrom and layups by Hill and Doogan, pushing the lead to 75-61 with 5:16 to play. Hill’s layup extended Richmond’s lead to its largest of the day at 80-64 with 3:38 remaining.

The Spiders held firm in the closing minutes, sealing an 86-75 victory and improving their record to 9-1.

Next up, the Richmond Spiders will host the Texas Longhorns at the Robins Center on Sunday, December 15, with tip-off scheduled for 1 PM.

Dukes Defeat Rams: VCU Struggles from the Field in 55-42 Loss

Richmond, VA – VCU women’s basketball fell to the James Madison Dukes 55-42 in a challenging matchup at home. The Rams struggled offensively, shooting just 25% (15-61) from the field, while the Dukes fared better at 39% (21-54). Ro Scott led James Madison with 16 points, while Mary-Ana Asare led VCU with 13 points.

The game opened with Jamia Hazell’s jumper putting the Dukes on the board at the 9:13 mark of the first quarter. Mykel Parham responded for the Rams, tying the game at 2 with a layup. However, the Dukes countered with a 7-0 run, capped by Kseniia Kozlova’s layup to establish a 9-2 lead. VCU fought back as Timaya Lewis-Eutsy’s three-pointer and Mary-Ana Asare’s layup cut the deficit to 9-7 with 6:13 left in the quarter. James Madison quickly regained momentum. Hazell’s jumper and a three-pointer from Scott extended their lead to 14-7. Deniz Torgut’s late three-pointer for VCU narrowed the gap to 14-13 with 1:26 left, but Scott’s layup with 56 seconds left put the Dukes' up 16-13 at the end of the 1st quarter.

In the second quarter, Lucia Sotelo gave the Rams their first lead of the game, 17-16, with a layup at 8:52. However, Bree Robinson’s free throws and Ro Scott’s three-point play swung the game back in the Dukes’ favor. A decisive 11-1 run by James Madison stretched their lead to 32-20 with just over two minutes remaining. Asare connected on a three-pointer to cut the halftime deficit to 32-23.

The Rams came out strong in the third quarter. Isabel Whitelaw’s three-pointer capped a 9-0 run, bringing VCU within two points, 34-32, with 6:20 left. But the Dukes answered with a dominating 13-1 run, capped by Annalicia Goodman’s free throws, to take a commanding 47-33 lead. Zoli Khalil’s layup finally ended VCU’s six-minute scoring drought, but the Rams still trailed 47-35 heading into the final quarter.

Despite Timaya Lewis-Eutsy’s three-point play in the fourth quarter, which cut the Dukes’ lead to 49-41, VCU couldn’t close the gap further. James Madison maintained control, securing the 55-42 victory.

The Rams (4-5) will look to bounce back when they face Delaware State on Monday, December 9th. Tip-off is set for 4:30 PM.

Richmond Secures 10th Consecutive Win, Advances to FCS Playoffs After Historic Shutout"

Richmond, VA: The Richmond Spiders clinched their second consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title and extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 27-0 victory over the William & Mary Tribe in the Capital Cup on Saturday. The Capital Cup, the "Oldest Rivalry in the South," dates back to 1898, and with this win, Richmond now leads the all-time series 66-64-5. This was the Spiders' first shutout over the Tribe since 1973 when they recorded a 31-0 victory.

The game started with a pivotal defensive play on the Tribe’s opening possession. Richmond’s Wayne Galloway intercepted a pass from Tribe quarterback Darius Wilson with 12:02 left in the first quarter. The Spiders capitalized on the turnover as Sean O’Haire drilled a 50-yard field goal—the seventh-longest in Spiders’ history—to take a 3-0 lead.

Later in the first quarter, Richmond extended their lead with a 9-play, 66-yard drive, capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from quarterback Cam Coleman. The successful PAT put the Spiders ahead 10-0 with 2:01 remaining in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, O’Haire attempted a 20-yard field goal, but the kick was nullified after a roughing-the-kicker penalty by a Tribe defender. The penalty gave the Spiders an automatic first down, and Camden Coleman followed up with a 1-yard touchdown run. O’Haire’s PAT made it 17-0 at halftime.

The Spiders sealed the win in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard field goal from O’Haire and a 1-yard touchdown run by Zach Palmer-Smith, completing the 27-0 shutout. Richmond’s defense was relentless, stifling William & Mary’s offense and securing their first shutout of the Tribe in over 50 years.

The Spiders now advance to the FCS playoffs for the third consecutive season. Richmond will face Lehigh in the first round on Saturday, November 30th, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m.