University of Richmond Athletics
Women's Basketball Set To Host Rhode Island Sunday
01/03/2014 | Women's Basketball
TV: CBS 6.3 (Channels: Verizon 466 and Comcast 206)
RADIO: www.RichmondSpiders.com
LIVE STATS: www.RichmondSpiders.com
SERIES: Richmond leads 14-2
RICHMOND SPIDERS (5-7, 0-0 A-10)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule/Results | Twitter | Game Notes
RHODE ISLAND RAMS (5-9, 0-1 A-10)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule/Results | Twitter
THE SERIES
This is the 17th meeting between the two teams and Richmond leads 14-2 in a series that dates back to 1991. The Spiders have only dropped two against the Rams - one in 2002 at the Robins Center and one in 2003 in at the Ryan Center. Richmond has won the last 13 meetings against Rhode Island.
THE SPIDERS
The Spiders are coming off a disappointing 85-80 loss to 2013 A-10 Champions Saint Joseph's this past Thursday to open conference play. Three Spiders notched double figures as Richmond shot 51.8 percent from the field and a season-high 57.1 percent from behind the arc. Overall, the Spiders are shooting 38.3 percent as redshirt junior Genevieve Okoro leads the team with 12.5 ppg and 7.8 rpg, while freshman Olivia Healy follows with 12.1 ppg and 7.6 rpg. Healy also leads the team with 34 steals.
THE RAMS
The Rams are coming into Sunday 5-9 on the season and 0-1 in the conference after a 50-44 overtime loss to La Salle this past Thursday. Rhode Island started the 2013-14 season, dropping its first five games. The Rams are shooting 35.6 percent from the field and just 28.8 from three-point range. Tayra Melendez leads the team with 15.0 ppg and 20 blocks.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite shooting a season-high from the field to go into the half with a 12-point lead, the Spiders fell to the Saint Joseph's Hawks, 85-80, in both teams' Atlantic 10 opener Thursday night at the Robins Center. Richmond was unstoppable in the first half, shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range to put three Spiders in double figures. The Hawks sent Richmond to the line 12 times, which earned Richmond 10 points to go into the intermission leading 49-37. But SJU remained consistent and outscored the Spiders, 48-31, in the final 20 minutes to claim the victory. Genevieve Okoro led the team with a season-high 19 points, while Olivia Healy followed with 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds and Kristina King tallied 18 points.
FIVE SPIDERS CATCH THE 'CATS
Richmond's 87-68 victory over the Davidson Wildcats on Dec. 28 in Davidson, N.C., was the largest margin of victory for the Spiders. Richmond tallied five Spiders in double figures to clinch the victory, which was the first time since Dec. 8, 2012, when Richmond clinched a 104-69 victory over UNCG. In addition to the largest margin of victory, the 87 points scored were the most this season, including the 30 field goals made, along with the highest three-point percentage (.467), free-throw percentage (.833), assists (15) and steals (13).
HEALY NAMED TO LONG BEACH CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Freshman Olivia Healy is having a standout freshman career as she was named to the 2013 Long Beach Classic All-Tournament team to close the California trip. The Reading, Mass., native tallied a game-high 20 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in the last-minute loss to Pacific. Healy also tallied three steals against the Tigers, while she started the weekend with four against Long Beach State. The rookie guard is averaging 12.1 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and leads the team with 34 steals this season.
GIVE ME THAT!
The Spiders are dominating on defense as they are averaging 9.5 steals per game. Richmond has recorded double-figure steals in eight of the 14 games this season. Freshman Olivia Healy leads the team with 34 steals, followed by senior Kristina King with 33. The Spiders hold a +2.9 turnover margin as they are forcing an average of 18.4 turnovers a game. Healy recorded an eight-steal game against Davidson which ranks third all-time in Richmond's record book.
UP NEXT
The Spiders hit the road Wednesday, Jan. 8 when it heads north to take on St. Bonaventure at 12 p.m.
