Spiders win second in a row over rival VCU

The University of Richmond women's basketball team won its second-consecutive game against rival Virginia Commonwealth University Sunday afternoon 66-52 at the Siegel Center.

Junior Brittani Shells recorded her first career double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Spiders against the Rams.

The Spiders outrebounded VCU 52-35 even though VCU averaged 46 rebounds per game. Richmond coach Michael Shafer shuffled a combination of junior forwards Katie Holzer and Crystal Goring and senior forward Nikita Thomas to give Richmond a size advantage.

"We outrebounded a heck of a rebounding team and a very physical basketball team," Shafer said. "We cleaned up the glass in the second half and gave up two offensive boards in the second half, and I think that was the difference in the basketball game. They didn't get many more opportunities to score and we did."

Thomas came off the bench to collect 12 rebounds to lead the team. Holzer was the third Spider in double digits in rebounding as she grabbed 10 rebounds. She finished one point shy of a double-double.

"The one thing Katie gives you - that I'm very comfortable with- is when she's in the point, and there's five [or] six people jumping around in there, she's going to get the rebound and you're not going to take it from her. She's a strong, physical presence in there."

Richmond struggled offensively to start the game. With 11 minutes remaining during the first half, the Spiders had only three baskets but turned the ball over eight times.

"As a team, I guess we were just overly excited for this game for many reasons," Shells said. "One being this was a rivalry game. Of course when you're excited the tendency is maybe [to] play fast... After a while, we started playing within a system, executing and we were knocking down shots."

The Spiders got a big lift from sophomore Abby Oliver off the bench in the first half. She finished the first half as Richmond's leading scorer with 12 points by hitting two three-pointers and converting two and-one opportunities.

"As a team, we really wanted to come out and attack," Oliver said. "I think we did a really good job of that tonight."

Oliver finished the game with 15 points, one shy of her career high that she set last year against George Mason University.

VCU senior D'Andra Moss with 16 points and La'Tavia Rorie with 15 were the only two Rams to score in double digits. Entering the game, four VCU players averaged in double digits in scoring.

"We defended probably as well as we've defended since our two scrimmages," Shafer said. "We played [University of Virginia] and East Carolina [University] in two scrimmages and defended very well. I've not seen that defensive effort since the season has started."

For Shells, this game meant a lot to her after what happened at season's end last year.

"You can't help but to notice what happened last year," she said. "We weren't picked to go into the NCAA Tournament even though we beat them last year but they were selected."

With the win, Richmond improved to 7-2 while the Rams fell to 3-2.

The Spiders return home for their next game against Georgetown University at noon on Dec. 12. In last year's Women's National Invitational Tournament, the Hoyas knocked the Spiders out of the tournament with a 65-49 win in the third round.

Contact staff writer Andrew Prezioso at andrew.prezioso@richmond.edu