University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
George Washington
Late George Washington Rally Stuns Women's Basketball Team, 88-87
01/27/2002 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2002
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The University of Richmond women's basketball team suffered a tough loss Sunday afternoon as it fell to George Washington, 88-87, in Washington, D.C. Richmond led by as many as 15 points in the second half, but turnovers and missed free throws down the stretch allowed the Colonials to get back in the game and take their only lead of the contest with 4.3 seconds to play. Junior forward Krystn Gull (Asheville, N.C./Erwin) led four Spiders in double-digits with 22.
The Spiders opened the game on a 17-7 run, capped by a steal by sophomore guard Amber Goppert (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy), who converted the three-point play after being fouled. The sophomore scored the final seven points of the run to build Richmond's lead to 10 at 14:05. George Washington would get within one point, 31-30 at 4:34, but the Spiders would end the half on a 13-4 run to take a 44-34 lead into the locker room. Goppert finished the first half with 16 points, as Richmond never trailed in the first 20 minutes. Of Richmond's 18 baskets (58.1%), senior point guard Michele Koclanes (Pelham, N.Y./Pelham Memorial) assisted on nine of them.
The Colonials started out the second half with seven unanswered points, but a Koclanes three-pointer at 18:39 ended the run and built Richmond's lead back up to six, 47-41. Over the next 10 minutes, the Spiders would continue to maintain the lead by two to seven points. At 8:40 Gull hit a big three-pointer and would then bury another trifecta 77 seconds later to increase the lead to 73-60. The junior would then connect on her fourth three-pointer of the half with exactly five minutes to play as Richmond led 80-67, however this field goal would be the Spiders' last of the contest.
Richmond continued to lead by double-digits, 84-73, with 2:13 left, but the Spiders would convert only four of their final 10 free throw attempts, allowing the Colonials to mount a comeback and end the game on a 15-3 run. Two George Washington baskets in a one second span reduced the Richmond lead to 87-85 with 25 seconds to play. Then on two consecutive possessions the Spiders would turn the ball over as the Colonials tied the game, 87-87, with 13 seconds left and then went to the free throw line with 4.3 seconds to play. GW freshman Anna Montanana missed the first attempt but made the second to give the Colonials their first lead of the contest. Richmond would have one last opportunity, but a three-pointer was off the mark as the Colonials remain unbeaten in the Atlantic 10.
Gull and Goppert each finished with 20-point performances, scoring 22 and 20, respectively, as Gull scored 15 of hers in the second stanza. Junior center Ebony Tanner (Garner, N.C./Ravenscroft) had a strong outing with 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds while freshman forward Kate Flavin (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) contributed 10 points. Koclanes finished with 12 assists, her fourth straight game reaching double-digit assist totals.
Richmond falls to 9-12, 3-5 in the Atlantic 10, while George Washington goes to 13-6, 8-0. Richmond returns to action Friday night at 7:00 p.m. as the Spiders host Duquesne.
