University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
1-3
Appalachian State
2-2
Hubbard, Parson Guide Richmond to First Win of the Season
11/21/2016 | Women's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond women's basketball team (1-3) scored its first win of the 2016-17 season on Sunday afternoon, knocking off Appalachian State (2-2), 55-46, on the strength of 40 combined points from Janelle Hubbard and Micaela Parson.
Hubbard led all scorers with 22 points on 7-19 shooting, her best performance to this point in the season. She was also 2-7 from long range and 6-6 from the free throw line while also pulling down a pair of rebounds and handing out a two assists.
Parson continued her hot start with 18 more points, putting her in double-figures for the 13th consecutive game. The junior took eight more trips to the free throw line, converting on six of those tries to give her 30 makes so far this season, which puts her on pace for 217 made free throws this season. The single-season record is 146 set by Karen Elsner in 1983-84.
Supporting the two big scoring efforts were Alicia Hudalla (7 pts, 7 reb), who made her third-straight start, Kylie Murphree (6 ast), and Lauren Tolson (6 pts, 9 reb). Those efforts helped Richmond outrebound App. State, 55-46, including a 14-8 effort on the offensive side. As a team the Spiders managed to shoot 35.2 percent, including a 43.8 percent mark in the third quarter when the lead was opened up.
Appalachian State continually tried to push the pace in the early going but a patient Spider game plan kept the Mountaineers in the half court which played well into the Richmond style. Hubbard wasted no time getting on the board after struggling on Friday night on the road, scoring on the first Richmond possession with a lay-up to get going. From there both sides traded baskets and the first quarter came to a close with a tie score.
It was more of the same in the second quarter. Parson and Hubbard took turns leading the scoring charge for the home side and by halftime only those two and Tolson would contribute points. On the final play of the half, Salita Greene stole a pass in transition and found a streaking Parson for an easy lay-in before the buzzer to give Richmond a two-point lead at the break.
Hubbard set the tone coming out of the locker room with a triple to push Richmond ahead by five. Hudalla answered with five points of her own as she helped her squad build a 12-point lead by the 3:20 mark. The Spiders would lead by eight entering the final quarter.
The lead dwindled down to four with just 3:06 to go in the game but once again it was Hudalla halting the drought with a wide-open layup. The Spiders tacked on free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory ahead of their first of two long road trips to tournaments this season.
Richmond travels to Boca Raton, Fla. for a pair of games over the Thanksgiving break and will not return to the Robins Center until Dec. 10 when 2016 NCAA Tournament team Penn arrives.
