University of Richmond Athletics
Women's Basketball Travels North For A-10 Play
02/23/2006 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2006
OLEAN, N.Y. - The University of Richmond women's basketball team will look for its fifth consecutive win as it faces the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Reilly Center in Olean, N.Y. The Spiders, now 12-14 overall and 7-7 in the A-10, have won their last four contests, three of which were over an A-10 Top 2 opponent, and are currently at a three-way tie for seventh in the Atlantic 10 coming into Friday's contest.
The Spiders are fresh off a 67-63 victory over A-10 leaders George Washington, a team they had not defeated in 23 years. Amber Petillon led the Spiders with a career-high 21 points (15 of which came in the first half) and eight rebounds, while Araceli Gil notched in 20 points after hitting four three-pointers. Mirna Mazic added eight points, Alison Mitchell scored six, and Saona Chapman added six points and dished out eight assists as the Spiders avenged their previous loss to the Colonials just five games earlier.
Richmond is led by Mazic (10.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg), who recorded four double-doubles and one 30-point game this season, Gil (9.2 ppg), who has earned 11 double-figure performances this season, and Chapman (9.0 ppg), who has reached double-figures in 12 games this season. The Spiders are coming off their third-straight 20-plus winning season (23-7) in which they advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Bonnies, currently 8-17 overall and 2-12 in the A-10, are on a six game slide and have not won a game since Jan. 29. Led by Stefanie Collins (11.3 ppg) and Audrey Latendresse (11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), St. Bonaventure is returning three starters from last year's squad that went 9-19 overall, finishing tied for fifth in the A-10 east division with a 4-12 mark.
The two teams first played in 1995 when the Bonnies captured their first and only win over the Spiders. Since then, the Spiders have won the last six meetings between the two teams and Richmond is undefeated both at Richmond and on St. Bonaventure's territory.
The Spiders and the Bonnies met twice last season, the last of which was in the first round of the A-10 Championships on Johanna McKnight's 19th birthday (March 3, 2005). McKnight led the Spiders to a 75-56 victory with a career-high 16 points. Also in double-digits were Chapman with 13 points and DeUnna Hendrix with 12 points as the Spiders advanced to second round action of the tourney.
Following Friday's contest, the Spiders will return to Richmond, Va. to conclude their season in the Robins Center, where they will host the Saint Joseph's Hawks on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Five Spider seniors, Amber Petillon will be honored in a senior ceremony for their contributions over the past years.
