University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
VCU
Parson Posts Career Performance In Loss To VCU
01/26/2016 | Women's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond women's basketball team (9-10, 2-4 A-10) entered the fourth quarter with a lead on Monday night but was unable to cash in at VCU (14-6, 3-4), going down 53-42 in the first of two matchups between the cross-town rivals this season.
The Spiders were carried by a career scoring performance from Micaela Parson who bagged 17, first half points and 23 total to lead all scorers. She also pitched in seven rebounds; a pair of assists and three steals. Karleigh Wike had another big game with nine points and eight rebounds. Richmond shot 30.8 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from deep and the defense held VCU to 0-15 from long range.
It was truly the Micaela Parson show in the first quarter of this one. She came out red-hot, converting on her first three attempts from the floor and adding a free throw after she finished through contact. She put an exclamation point on the opening frame with a deep three ball from the left wing to push Richmond ahead 13-10 after the Rams had battled to knot the score. Salita Greene came up with a block at time expired to secure the lead going into the second.
VCU took charge on its home court in the second quarter. The Rams scored first but Parson answered at the 9:01 mark to make it 15-12. The Spiders were then held without a field goal for just shy of eight minutes but with good defense trailed by just six with the final possession in their hands. With the shot clock off, Parson held at the top and drove with less than five seconds to go, converted the lay-in and drew a foul on the play. She made the free throw to make it a five-point game heading into the locker rooms.
Parson canned 17 points in the first half and accounted for seven of eight made field goals for the Spiders. She also grabbed four rebounds and picked up a pair of steals to pace the Richmond offense. Karleigh Wike had the other field goal and with a free throw finished the first half with three points. Janelle Hubbard was held to just one point and 0-5 from the floor.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. The Spiders came out hot with jumpers from Greene, Wike and Hubbard to go on a 6-0 run and re-take the lead. It did not last long as Alaeze answered with a lay-in to give the lead back to the Rams. Parson buried another triple to give her 20 for the night and would finish the quarter with 23, a new career-high.
Trailing by three with 3:10 left, Powell found herself on the free throw line and converted a pair to cut the lead to just one. VCU answered but Parson responded with a deep three from the top to tie the score once again. Salita Greene made one of two free throws with just over one minute to play in the quarter to secure a one-point lead for the Spiders entering the fourth quarter.
VCU began the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run that pushed the Spiders back by five, 43-38 with 7:25 to go. The Rams only continued to extend their lead as the Spiders managed just four points in the frame on lay-ups from Wike and Murphree. VCU was able to clamp down and secure its third victory in A-10 play this season.
The Spiders finally return to the Robins Center on Thursday, after what turned out to be a 15-day stretch away from home, to square off with Duquesne in a rematch of last season's WNIT second round matchup. Richmond is 4-4 at home this season but 0-2 so far opposite Atlantic 10 opponents.
