Women’s basketball loses in A-10 quarterfinals

The University of Richmond women’s basketball team lost 59-58 against the Saint Louis University Billikens in the Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals on March 12, putting an end to their tournament run.

Both teams went scoreless the first three minutes of play.

Junior guard Kate Klimkiewicz got the Spiders going after stealing the ball from sophomore guard Julia Martinez of the Billikens and making a layup on a fastbreak.

After exchanging points for the rest of the quarter, the Spiders found themselves down 10-13 heading into the second quarter.

The team made it a 12-13 game with 9:19 left to go in the second quarter after two free throws by first-year forward Addie Budnik.

Saint Louis went on a 9-0 scoring run and took a 22-12 lead with 5:24 remaining. 

A three-pointer by Klimkiewicz put the Spiders back within single digits, making it a 22-15 Saint Louis lead with 5:16 left in the second quarter. 

The Spiders would score seven more points in the quarter, but the Billikens managed to put eleven more points on the scoreboard, taking a 33-22 lead at halftime.

At 2:30 into the second half, Saint Louis  junior guard Myia Clark scored the first points on a layup, but UR responded with an 8-0 scoring run after back-to-back three-pointers by senior guard Alex Parson and Klimkiewicz, followed by a layup from Klimkiewicz that made it a 35-30 game.

After a jumper by Parson at the 4:32 mark brought the Spiders within six points, the team did not score until a free throw by junior forward Emma Squires with 1:44 remaining in the third quarter. The quarter ended with a 40-33 Billikens lead.

Going into the final quarter, the Spiders and Billikens traded baskets for the first 5:37. 

UR trailed by 11 points with just 4:23 left in the game.

The Spiders scored 13 points in 3:37, bringing the score to 52-50 and taking their first lead of the game. 

After a jumper tied the game at 52-52, neither team was able to score at the horn, sending the game into overtime.

Despite the late-game comeback, UR could not get the win, losing by one point in overtime.

Klimkiewicz led the Spiders’ scoring with 19 points, seven rebounds and eight steals, finishing seven for 14 from the field and three for eight from the three-point range. First-year guard Grace Townsend had 12 points off the bench, going six for six from the free-throw line. 

The Spiders were able to score 22 points off over turnovers, 14 points off the fast break. Fourteen of UR’s 58 points came from players off the bench.

UR shot 30.8 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from downtown.

The Spiders were outrebounded 48-38 by the Billikens. Saint Louis committed 24 turnovers versus the Spiders’ 15.

Contact sports writer Anabella Pelaez at anabella.pelaez@richmond.edu.