Spiders Win Home Opener Over Navy, 65-49

Wednesday, December 2

Robins Center

5PM

University of Richmond

1-1,0-0Atlantic 10

Navy

0-2,0-0Patriot

Navy

Richmond

12/02/2020 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Richmond Navy WBB Photo Gallery

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond women's basketball team forced 30 turnovers from Navy and led wire-to-wire in a 65-49 win Wednesday night in the home opener at the Robins Center. Junior Claire Holt (Hoover, Ala.) led the team with 14 points and three assists.

"It is great to get a win and we always talk about how the first one is the hardest," head coach Aaron Roussell said. "I am really proud of the fact we forced 30 turnovers and got them uncomfortable. You want to defend home court and it was important to get them out of their comfort zone."

The Spiders (1-1) led wire-to-wire and outscored Navy in every quarter to secure a home win at the Robins Center. Freshman Siobhan Ryan (Buffalo, N.Y.) had 13 points in the victory off 5-for-14 shooting and classmate Addie Budnik (Highland Park, Ill.) added 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. Budnik was key defensively with four blocks and all six rebounds coming on the defensive end.

Junior Kate Klimkiewicz (Oakton, Va.) finished with 10 points, five rebounds and three steals. Freshman Grace Townsend (Midlothian, Va.) scored a career-high nine points off a perfect 3-for-3 shooting.

Richmond scored 25 points off those 30 Navy turnovers and outscored the Midshipmen 21-6 in bench points. The Spiders shot 41.1 percent (23-for-56) and hit 10 three-pointers (10-for-33). Sophomore Elaina Chapman (Richmond, Va.) grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, including 11 on the defensive end.

Roussell continues to have a solid record against Navy earning his 13^th win in his last 14 games against them dating back to his days with Bucknell.

In the first quarter, Richmond jumped out to a 10-4 lead thanks to three-pointers from Ryan and Holt with 7:33 left. Ryan scored eight points in the first three minutes to give the Spiders a 13-6 lead. Navy would cut into the lead and get within five points after a three-pointer by Sophie Gatzounas. Richmond ended the quarter with a 22-17 advantage.

The Spiders built a nine-point lead in the second quarter after a layup by Townsend made the score 27-18. Navy would keep fighting after another three-pointer from Gatzounas cut the lead to four at 27-23 with 4:48 on the clock. Richmond closed the quarter on an 8-3 run to go into halftime with a 35-26 lead.

Richmond keep the advantage in the third quarter outscoring Navy, 14-12 and enter the final quarter with a 49-38 lead. Holt and Klimkiewicz each scored five points in the third quarter.

The Spiders would cruise in the fourth quarter building their lead to 16 points after a basket plus the foul from Budnik. Ryan answered with a dagger three-pointer to push the lead to 63-45 with 3:49 remaining. Richmond held Navy to just 11 points in the fourth quarter.

The Spiders remain home and will host Gardner-Webb on Friday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m. at the Robins Center.

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