University of Richmond Athletics
Women's Basketball is Going Dancing
03/13/2005 | Women's Basketball
Joanne Boyle
Post Selection Show Interview with Spider Forward Kate Flavin
Post Selection Show Interview with Spider Guard Saona Chapman
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The University of Richmond women's basketball team earned the program's first-ever at-large bid tonight as it was selected to compete in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The #11-seeded Spiders (23-7) will face sixth-seeded Florida State on Sunday, March 20 in Storrs, Conn. in a repeat match-up from the 2004 WNIT second round.
The Spiders are making their third NCAA Tournament appearance and return for the first time since 1991. After capturing the CAA title in 1990 and 1991, Richmond earned the conference's automatic bid both years and lost in first round action.
The Spiders compiled their third consecutive 20+ win season and advanced to the semi-finals of the Atlantic 10 Championships for the second straight year. In January, Richmond earned the program's first-ever national ranking as it appeared at #25 in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll.
Under third-year head coach Joanne Boyle, the Spiders have competed in the WNIT the past two seasons and own a 5-2 mark in post-season play. In 2004, Richmond advanced to the semi-finals and the previous year, the Spiders earned their first-ever national post-season win while advancing to the quarterfinals.
Richmond and Florida State have met twice with the series' record tied at 1-1. Last year, the Spiders defeated the Seminoles 84-77 in a WNIT second round game at the Robins Center. The first meeting occurred on December 29, 1993 when FSU topped Richmond 70-66 in the Central Florida Tournament.
During the 2004-05 season, Richmond faced seven of this year's NCAA Tournament teams and posted a 3-6 mark.
