University of Richmond
Fordham
Spiders' Win Streak Snapped In Final Second Of OT At Fordham
01/05/2015 | Women's Basketball
BRONX, N.Y. – Despite redshirt-senior Genevieve Okoro tallying her third double-double of the season, the Richmond women's basketball team fell to the reigning A-10 Champions the Fordham Rams in the final second of overtime, 65-64, Sunday afternoon in both teams' conference opener.
Okoro led three Spiders in double figures with a season-high 21 points and 13 rebounds, while recording a career-high five blocks. Sophomore Janelle Hubbard followed with 17 points and junior Bria Powell added 10 points.
Sophomore Olivia Healy added seven points, eight rebounds, three assists and a block for the Spiders.
Richmond (8-5, 0-1) trailed for the entire second half until the final second when Okoro grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it to tie the score at 54 and force the overtime. The Spiders stole the momentum and led by as many as six in overtime, but Fordham (9-5, 1-0) scored the final six points of the game – in a 28 second span – to snap Richmond's impressive five-game win streak.
Fordham's final six points consisted of two three-point plays, including its final shot with one second left to play.
Richmond shot 36.7 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from the three-point line, while forcing eight Ram turnovers that led to 12 Richmond points. Fordham shot 38.8 percent from the floor, while going 11-for-22 (50%) from the free-throw line.
Today was an emotional day for both teams as Fordham named this game “A Game in Remembrance of Ginny Doyle and Natalie Lewis.” The Rams' head coach Stephanie Gaitley, who coached at Richmond from 1985-91, recruited Doyle and coached her for two years, which was the beginning of a lifetime of friendship as a player, coach, mentor and colleague.
Fordham sold wristbands that the profits went to the Ginny Doyle and Natalie Lewis Memorial Funds before and during the game, ran promotions for fans to win gift cards by texting “GINNY” to the athletics department and Coach Gaitley donated one dollar for every follower she gained throughout the day.
The Spiders will return home for the first time since Dec. 14, 2014 to host St. Bonaventure Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.
