University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
CHARLOTTE
Women's Basketball Downs A-10 Leader Charlotte, 82-64
02/17/2006 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Four University of Richmond women's basketball players reached double figures in their thrilling 82-64 victory over the Atlantic 10 leaders, the Charlotte 49ers, on Friday night at the Robins Center. Senior guard Saona Chapman led all scorers with 18 points and nine assists, while sophomore Mirna Mazic added 17 points improving the Spiders to 10-14 overall and 5-7 in the A-10.
Saona Chapman would hit a basket and Sarah Williams would answer with her famous three-pointer to tie the game, 16-16, at the 9:27 mark.
Freshman Augustina Zygaite then pulled down a rebound and put the ball right back up to give the Spiders a two-point advantage at the 8:33 mark. Charlotte's Sakellie Daniels and Pam Brown came back with the next four points of the game to steal the Spiders' two-point lead; however, Richmond's Araceli Gil answered with two free throws bringing the game to its fourth even score. Zygaite once again came up big for the Spiders, as she broke the stalemate after hitting a free throw that was then followed by another trey by Williams, giving the Spiders a four-point lead.
In the last six minutes of first half action, Mirna Mazic added six points, Williams hit two free throws and drained her third three of the night, putting her in double figures, and Chapman drove for two points as the Spiders escaped with a 13-point lead before the halftime buzzer.
Using a combination of drives, jumpers, free-throws, and three-point plays by Chapman and Petillon, who scored 17 of the Spiders' first 19 points in the second half, Richmond held an 18-point lead at the 12:01 mark. Mazic stepped up again and added a three and several more baskets and, pooled with baskets from Williams and Grabias, the Spiders soared away with a 24-point lead at the 8:12 mark.
After hitting 19-20 (.950) from the free throw line and out rebounding the 49ers 42-34, the Spiders ended the contest with an 18-point advantage over the team that defeated them just five games earlier. The Spiders 82 points was the most points that they have scored against any opponent all season.
"Our kids played with a lot of effort," stated Shafer. "In Charlotte, we gave them a run for their money (the Spiders lost by just four points), so I felt like we had confidence coming into tonight's game. And having Mirna tonight definitely helped as well. We did an excellent job of executing our game plan. I'm just proud of them. They've earned the feelings they are feeling right now."
While Chapman and Mazic recorded 18 and 17 points, respectively, each off of 6-6 effort at the free throw line, Williams finished the game with 13 points, Petillon added 11 points, and Grabias scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds.
The 49ers, who also had four players in double-figures, were led by Daniels and Whitney Hoey with 15 points each. Brown followed with 11 points and Andrea Davidson added 10 points as the 49ers fell to 18-6 overall and 11-2 in the conference.
The Spiders will now travel to Washington, D.C. to face A-10 rivals University of George Washington Colonials for the second time this season on Sunday at noon. The game will be on Atlantic 10 television
