University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
at Dayton
Women's Basketball Falls At Dayton, 67-62
01/15/2006 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2006
DAYTON, Ohio - Sophomore forward Mirna Mazic recorded her third double-double of the season as the University of Richmond women's basketball team dropped a 67-62 decision to the University of Dayton Flyers on Sunday afternoon in the University of Dayton Arena. Mazic and senior guard Araceli Gil led all scorers as Mazic notched 19 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds after tying her career-high two three-pointers. Gil followed with 17 points and dished out 5 assists as the Spiders fall to 7-10 overall and 2-3 in the Atlantic 10.
The Spiders jumped to a 7-3 lead in the first three minutes after a basket by Kelly Roche and a lay-up and three-pointer by Gil; however, by the 15-minute mark, the Flyers brought the game to an 11-11 tie after back-to-back threes by Tara Ramsey and Jennifer Strong. Despite over a two-minute drought where the Flyers soared away with a 19-13 advantage following a basket and two more treys, Richmond's Alison Mitchell kept the Spiders in the game with two free throws and her first-ever three pointer, bringing the Spiders within three points of the Flyers with just over eight minutes left in the first half.
The Flyers then experienced a dry spell where they couldn't connect on a shot for close to three minutes until Ramsey hit a lay-up. The Spiders were then unable to hit a shot for over four minutes; however, Mazic broke the spell after hitting three consecutive shots, bringing the game to a 28-28 stalemate. Richmond's Gil quickly gave the Spiders a three-point edge after sinking her second three of the game with just 1:31 left in the half. Dayton was only able to answer with one more basket before the buzzer, and ended the half with a one-point deficit.
Gil was the only player in double-digits at the halftime, scoring 10 points after hitting two treys. Mazic trailed behind her with eight points and six rebounds as the Spiders took a 31-30 lead. Hitting over 70% from the three-point line, five of Dayton's 12 baskets were treys.
Mazic quickly moved the Spiders to a three-point lead after creating a wide-open lay-up for herself in the first 30 seconds of the second half. Dayton's Strong and Kiki Lund accounted for the Flyers' first nine points of the second half as they took a 39-37 advantage over the Spiders. Richmond's DeUnna Hendrix quickly answered with an outside shot, followed by a three from Mazic to give the Spiders a three-point advantage. Dayton's Ramsey then ensued with a trey to tie the contest; however, Richmond's Hendrix answered again, this time, with a three.
The battle for the lead continued for the next few minutes, until the Flyers took off with an eight-point lead at the 7:53 mark following back-to-back baskets by Cara Wright and an additional basket by Brittany Holterman. With just 4:42 left in the game, the Spiders were down by seven, until Gil was able to sink back-to-back free throws and drive for two more points to bring the game to 61-56 at the 3:08 mark. Trailing by seven with just one minute left, the Spiders were unable to put quite enough points on the scoreboard to win the contest, despite a three-pointer by both Mazic and Gil in the last 40 seconds that closed the gap to two points. Dayton's Ramsey and Strong secured a 67-62 final score after nailing three free throws in the last two minutes.
As Mazic and Gil led the Spiders with double-figures, Mitchell recorded nine points, Roche scored 8 points, and Hendrix notched in seven points for the Spiders.
Four Flyers recorded double-digits leading the Flyers to now 12-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference and avenging their two losses to the Spiders last season. Strong, Ramsey, and Karah Cloxton, each scored 11 points, while Wright recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Spiders will now return home for just two days before packing their bags for a trip to Amherst, Mass. for a contest with the Minutewomen on Jan. 19 at 7:00 p.m.
