The women's basketball team falls short to Miami

University of Richmond's women's basketball team did not back down on the court against the aggressive No. 24-ranked University of Miami Hurricanes on Monday night at the Robins Center, but fell short, being defeated 69-63.

The high-paced game yielded relatively low scoring, with nearly 50 turnovers of the ball throughout the game.

Redshirt senior Rachael Bilney continued her streak as top scorer for the team. She contributed 15 points in the game and was two for five for 3-point shots during the second half.

Bilney, who wore a knee brace, said any injuries she had would not influence how she approached the game. "Whether we play the best team in the country or the worst, I try and play the same way," she said.

With almost six minutes on the clock remaining before halftime, Bilney added three points to give the Spiders a 23-20 lead. Miami then regained control of the ball and finished the half ahead by 36-34.

"It took a while for us to adjust to the physicality and the speed," said head coach Michael Shafer.

Richmond shot particularly well on the arch in the first half, finishing with three 3-point shots to Miami's zero of three attempts.

When the game resumed for the second half, junior guard Becca Wann came out on fire, adding 10 points to the scoreboard for the Spiders. With roughly a quarter of the game remaining, Wann made both of her attempts at 3-point shots, finishing the game with a total of 13 points and one assist.

"In the first half I didn't do what I needed to do," Wann said, adding that she came back in the second half with fierce determination to help her team.

Shafer said that Wann was a flat-out winner. "When the game is on the line and things matter, she's rare," he said. "I put her in to make plays and she did."

The team was optimistic about the loss. "If we play as aggressively as we did tonight, then it's a good jump start to the season," Wann said.

Bilney said it was a great game for the Spiders. "It will show as a loss, but this is a game that proves we can hang with elite teams," she said. "We need to use this to build momentum looking forward and take this as a

lesson that we need to compete like we did tonight every time we step on the floor."

Contact staff reporter Mara Lugo at mara.lugorudner@richmond.edu