Spiders Come Away with Emotional Senior Day Victory, Sweep VCU, 59-54

Sunday, February 18

Robins Center

3:00 PM

University of Richmond

12-15 (7-7)

VCU

6-20 (3-11)

VCU

Richmond

Spiders Come Away with Emotional Senior Day Victory, Sweep VCU, 59-54

02/18/2018 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Matt Moretti III (@Moretts13)

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – Senior day is always special, as is each and every time VCU and Richmond step on the floor together; combine those and what comes with it is a game that will stand in memories for years to come. The University of Richmond women's basketball team (12-15, 7-7 Atlantic 10) bested the VCU Rams (6-20, 3-11 A-10), 59-54, on the Robins Center floor on Sunday afternoon, completing the first season-sweep of VCU since the 2014-15 season.

Both sides were grinding out every point that was scored. Micaela Parson and Jaide Hinds-Clarke paced the effort the Spiders with 12 points apiece while Jaide was one of three, along with Alicia Hudalla and Amy Duggan who pulled down a team-best five boards. Making everything go was Kylie Murphree who handed out eight more assists against just one turnover, giving her a ratio of 19:1 opposite VCU this season. Murphree added in four steals as well just for good measure.

Coming off a game in which the Spiders shot over 50 percent from the floor, VCU applied pressure early and often and forced the home side to work for every inch. Richmond returned the favor, forcing the Rams into 18 turnovers that turned into 14 points on the other end.

The Richmond bench was stellar once again, bolstered by Hinds-Clarke who ceded her starting role to senior Karleigh Wike who posted five points and three boards in Jaide's stead. Alex Parson was a spark once again with eight points to go with four boards an assist and a steal. Kailyn Fee also contributed eight points on 2-4 from long range and 2-2 from the free throw line.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair with both sides trading leads multiple times before Dee Hatcher converted in the lane on the final Spider possession to push Richmond into the lead after one, 14-13.

The Richmond bench really got involved in the second quarter. Fee knocked down the first of her two triples at the 8:15 mark to tie the score at 19 then Alex added a pair of free throws before Duggan dropped a long ball to force VCU into a timeout with the Spiders on top, 24-19. Jaide added a jumper in the lane after the timeout then following a VCU triple, Hatcher matched with one of her own and Alex buried a mid-range jumper as the buzzer sounded to give Richmond a 31-22 lead at the break.

The Spiders kept VCU at arms length in the third, leading by as many as 11 before taking a lead of nine, 42-33, into the final quarter break. The Spiders led by nine, 52-43 at the 2:25 mark when Micaela fouled out and held a 10-point advantage with 1:19 to play but VCU managed to battle back to within three with 13 seconds to go but Kailyn Fee stepped up and knocked down the game-clinching free throws down the stretch to secure this one for her seniors.

With senior day out of the way the Spiders will look to close out the regular season home slate on Wednesday at 7 p.m. opposite UMass before concluding the overall regular season with a trip to George Washington next weekend (Feb. 24).

The Atlantic 10 Tournament will begin on Tuesday (Feb. 27) at home sites with seeds 3-8 hosting seeds 9-14 while the top two seeds get to advance directly to the Richmond Coliseum. Currently Richmond controls its own destiny from the eighth seed. With one more win Richmond will clinch a home game in the conference tournament and with two wins and some help could move up and out of the eight spot.