University of Richmond Athletics
Women's Basketball Opens 2010-11 Season At Western Carolina
11/09/2010 | Women's Basketball
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Nov. 9, 2010
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -
The Richmond women's basketball team, winners of two consecutive 20-win seasons, opens its 2010-11 season at Western Carolina Friday night at 7 p.m. in the Ramsey Regional Center in Cullowhee, N.C.
The Latest:
• The Spiders return eight student-athletes from last year's WNIT second round squad, including A-10 leading scorer, Brittani Shells (16.7 points per game).
• Shells led the Spiders in scoring in all but 10 games, recorded nine 20-point or better games, 15-game-high performances including a career-best 32 points against Morgan State. Shells set a Richmond single season record for steals with 84, and is currently sixth on Richmond's all-time scoring list (1,467 points).
• The Spiders were picked fifth in the A-10 preseason poll and Shells was an All Conference second team and defensive team preseason selection.
• Junior Rachael Bilney suffered a season-ending knee injury in October and will miss all of 2010-11. Bilney, however, will continue her weekly blog for RichmondSpiders.com.
• Senior Crystal Goring comes back to lead Richmond's frontcourt. Goring led the Spiders with 6.0 rebounds per game, and already ranks fifth in Richmond's all-time blocks shots category (83). Goring also cracked the Spiders' top-10 list for blocks in a single season with 33.
• Junior Sam Bilney will return to the court for the first time since Feb. `09 after battling knee injuries the past two seasons. Bilney was a team captain in 2008-09 and averaged 6.1 ppg.
• Reigning A-10 Sixth Player of the Year Roanoke, Va. native Abby Oliver returns to help Shells in the backcourt. Oliver posted a breakout season last year, averaging 10.2 ppg and pouring in a career-high 27 points against home-and-home rival, George Washington.
The Teams:
• This is the second meeting between the two teams, as Richmond notched the series' first win over the Catamounts in both teams' season openers last year at the Robins Center.
• Senior Emily Clarke returns to lead Western Carolina at 13.4 ppg. The Catamounts had six players contributing five or more points a game last season.
• Western Carolina returns two starters from last year's 7-23 squad and welcome five freshmen.
• Both teams share opponents in Charlotte and Appalachian State.
• Head coach Michael Shafer is 4-1 in season openers and Richmond is 61-32 all-time in season-openers.
Up Next:
• The Spiders continue the road swing with East Tennessee State Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
