University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
La Salle
3-Pointers Lift Women's Basketball To 70-48 Victory Over La Salle
01/26/2007 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2007
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - After hitting a season-high 13 3-pointers, the Richmond women's basketball team earned its second-straight road win as it topped La Salle, 70-48, on Friday night in Tom Gola Arena. Freshman Danielle Bell and Sarah Williams each led the Spiders with 16 points after hitting a combined seven threes to snap the Explorers six-game home-win streak.
Williams' 16 points came off of 5-of-6 shooting from the field, including a 4-5 effort from behind the arch, a season-high for the sophomore guard from Wilmington, Del. She also shot a perfect 2-2 from the foul line and pulled a game-high seven boards. Bell delivered her career-high 16 points and fourth double-digit performance of the season after 5-of-6 shooting from the field, including 3-4 from the 3-point line, career-high 3-point shooting for the guard. She also put in all three free-throw attempts.
Freshman Johanna McKnight hit 2-of-3 3-pointers to finish with eight points. Freshmen Nikita Thomas and Katie Holzer also concluded the night with eight points apiece.
"I thought from a defensive perspective that we executed our game plan about as well as we have all year," stated Richmond head coach Michael Shafer. "Offensively, I think that this was a game where the potential of our basketball team was shown. We played to our ability. We shared the basketball. We moved it, put it in people's hands, when and where they needed it. And because of the way we played, defensively and offensively, you could literally see our kids having fun."
In the first eight minutes of play, the Spiders used five different scorers to take a 12-point lead (20-8) led by Thomas who chipped in eight of those points. Richmond then hit four-straight-pointers, including two-straight by Williams to take its largest lead of the half (20) with 4:45 on the clock.
The Explorers then responded with an 11-2 run, taking over the final 3:35 of play and trimming the Spiders' lead to 13. Carlene Hightower and Crista Ricketts led La Salle's first-half comeback efforts with five and six points, respectively.
Despite a lapse in the final four minutes of play, the Spiders dominated on the boards, holding a 16-9 advantage. Richmond also put in six 3-pointers in the first half after shooting 60% from behind the arch, while the Explorers were unable to convert a trey.
The Spiders picked up their momentum from the first of the half and used it to take its largest lead (27) with just over six minutes to go. The Spiders hit all seven free throws in the second half, as well as 7-of-9 3-pointers (77.8%) to take its largest victory of the season (22 points).
Hightower and Rickets led the Explorers with 18 points a piece as they dropped their second-straight A-10 contest. After finishing the contest with not a single 3-pointer on the board, a season low for the team, La Salle ended its 120-game streak, in which it has hit at least one three in each game.
Richmond ended the game with a 33-22 advantage on the boards.
The Spiders (9-12, 3-3 in A-10) will now continue north to the Bronx, N.Y. to face the Fordham Rams on Sunday afternoon, as they look for their third-straight road win. Tip off with the Rams is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Live coverage will be available at RichmondSpiders.com.
