University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
American
Spiders Slip Past American, 72-68
01/29/2001 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2001
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senior forward Carolyn Constantakis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) produced a game-high 22 points and snared 11 rebounds, while junior point guard Michele Koclanes (Pelham, N.Y./Pelham Memorial) added 10 points and 11 assists to bolster the University of Richmond women's basketball team to a 72-68 victory over American tonight at Bender Arena.
Joining the tandem in double figures was sophomore shooting guard Elise Ryder (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade Julienne) with 12 points. She also had a career-best seven rebounds and three assists. Richmond's defense also played well, limiting the Eagles to 28.8 percent shooting from the field and pressuring American into 21 turnovers.
American was led by sophomore guard Danielle Johnson's 16 points. Junior forward Jina Lewis produced a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double and freshman guard Kaitlin Schuyler added 15 points.
After trailing during the closing stages of the opening half, Richmond concluded the first 20 minutes with an 11-3 scoring run and owned a 37-31 advantage at intermission. Ryder was instrumental in igniting the surge, scoring six points, including supplying the final three points of the half to give Richmond the lead at intermission. Constantakis paced the Spiders with 12 points and six rebounds at the half, while Koclanes was her usual playmaking self with six points and seven assists.
Another run to open the second half - this time an 11-4 spurt - built the Spiders lead to as many as 11 points at 48-37 with 14:50 remaining in the contest. American narrowed the margin to as few as three points, before Richmond got it back up to nine (62-53) with 6:50 on the clock. This time, it was time for American to rally and they did, catching the Spiders at 64-all with 3:22 to go following a Schuyler trey.
On the ensuing possession, Spider freshman Amber Goppert (Constable, N.Y./Franklin Academy) connected on a 12-foot baseline jumper from the right side of the lane to give Richmond the lead for good at 66-64. A Constantakis layup after a Richmond defensive stop put the Spiders ahead 68-64 with 2:40 remaining. The Eagles pared the led to 70-68 with 1:38 left, Spider sophomore center Ebony Tanner (Garner, N.C./Ravenscroft) made one of two free throws to put Richmond up 71-68 and a Schuyler attempt to knot the contest in the closing minute fell short.
In the victory, Koclanes surpassed the 500 career-assist mark and has now dished off a program best-ever 508 assists all-time.
Richmond returns to action on Friday, February 2, visiting Old Dominion at 7:35 p.m. at ODU Fieldhouse in Norfolk, Va.
