Spiders Push Top-Seeded Dayton, Fall Just Short, 67-58

Friday, March 2

Richmond Coliseum

11:00 AM

University of Richmond

14-17

Dayton

23-5

Richmond Spiders

Dayton

Spiders Push Top-Seeded Dayton, Fall Just Short, 67-58

03/02/2018 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photos

By: Matt Moretti III (@Moretts13)

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond women's basketball team (14-17, 8-8 Atlantic 10) gave the league's top-seeded program, Dayton (23-5, 15-1 A-10), everything it could handle and more on Friday morning in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Atlantic 10 Tournament. Sadly, the 2017-18 women's basketball season came to a close with a 67-58 loss at the hands of the Flyers.

Micaela Parson was every bit the all-time great in this game as she has proven to be all season long and beyond. She scored 23 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals, putting the Spiders on her back.

She finishes ninth all-time in scoring with 1,401 points, making her the ninth player in program history to reach that plateau. Her 582 points this season are fourth most in a single season in program history and her 161 made free throws are a single-season record and 406 made free throws in her career are good for third all-time. She also joined the 300-assist club and her 69 steals this season are tied for sixth all-time. Micaela Parson is the only player in program history to score 1,000+ points, grab 500+ rebounds and hand out 300+ assists.

Jaide Hinds-Clarke saved perhaps her best for last as well. She dropped in 16 points to go with six rebounds while Alex Parson scored eight points on 2-7 from long range with an impressive driving layup.

Emotions were running high at the start of this game. The Spiders rallied around their senior leader Micaela Parson and she put her best food forward to guide them, knocking down each of her first three shots of the game to lead her team back from an early 6-0 deficit with a 7-0 run to take the lead.

The fireworks started with Richmond trailing 10-7. Hinds-Clarke finished off a nice feed from Murphree inside to make it a one-point game then a missed Dayton jumper led a transition bucket for Micaela. Alex Parson then dropped in a three ball and Hinds-Clarke finished once more with 1:40 to go off a no-look feed from Micaela to push the Spiders ahead, 16-13. Dayton tossed in one bucket down the stretch to leave the Spiders with a 16-15 lead after one.

Dayton began the second quarter by quieting the crowd with a quick, 9-0, run to move back into the lead, 24-16. The top seeded Flyers led by as many as 11 with 3:02 to play in the half but the Spider bench and home crowd was sent into a frenzy when Murphree split the defense with an up-and-under move that gave the senior her first points of the game. Alex Parson added a layup later to offset a Dayton FT to leave the Spiders with an eight-point deficit at the break.

Dayton quickly pushed its lead back to 11, early in the third quarter and things seemed to be slipping away from the Spiders. Micaela Parson did not allow that to happen. She drove the lane and converted a tough shot inside and Kailyn Fee buried a triple from the wing to make it a six-point game with 5:40 to play in the third.

The top seeded Flyers pushed it back to seven with 3:25 left but Hinds-Clarke answered on the other end to spark the beginning of a 7-2 Richmond run, capped by an Alicia Hudalla jumper with 13 seconds left. The Flyers added a pair of free throws before the quarter came to a close but the flame had been lit on the Richmond sideline.

Trailing by eight with 8:37 left, Micaela drew a foul and knocked down both free throws to make it a six-point game. After a long Dayton possession, Micaela came away with a defensive rebound and threw long pass to a streaking Hinds-Clarke for an easy transition lay-in. Coach Shafer called a quick timeout to an incredible ovation from the hometown crowd, with the Spiders down just four with 6:18 to go.

Micaela made it a two-point game on the Spiders' next possession and later was on the line with a pair of free throws to tie the game but made just one. Dayton responded with a jumper and Dee Hatcher answer that with a driving lay-up at the 4:06 mark. That was as close as the Spiders came in this one, unfortunately. Dayton canned a layup on the other end to make it a three-point lead and the Spiders were unable to get inside of that down the stretch. The Flyers made free throws to keep the Spiders are arms length to come away with the victory.

Richmond's season comes to a close. The ending isn't what the Spiders wanted but the fight in this team was unmatched. The support for this program all season has been phenomenal. Huge thank you to all who helped us along the way.