(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.
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