Sports
Photo Gallery: Richmond Club Hockey
By Andrew Prezioso | January 22, 2012Contact photographer Andrew Prezioso at andrew.prezioso@richmond.edu
Contact photographer Andrew Prezioso at andrew.prezioso@richmond.edu
University of Richmond faced an uphill battle for most its game against the University of Massachusetts Saturday evening; every time it seemed the Spiders were making a run, the Minutemen answered. Richmond held two short one-point leads early in the game, but was forced to fight from behind for the rest of the game.
Coming off a tough loss to St. Bonaventure University, the Spiders bounced back, winning an Atlantic 10 Conference game, 74-70, against La Salle University. "It's a confidence booster," Richmond forward Genevieve Okoro said.
Richmond Swimming & Diving competed in the University of Pittsburgh's quad dual-meet Jan. 13 and 14, outscoring Villanova 187-162, but falling to the host Panthers 240-113 and Maryland 242.5-104.5. Head coach Matthew Baraney said he wasn't pleased with the results. "We were average," he said.
As renovations to the varsity basketball suite in the Robins Center begin, Richmond men's coach Chris Mooney and women's coach Michael Shafer anticipate the project's recruiting benefits and overall contributions to the campus community. The teams' recent accomplishments will be highlighted by new flooring, paint, furniture, media and graphics in their offices and locker rooms, said David Walsh, deputy athletic director, who is heading the project for the athletic department.
This past weekend was the divisional round of playoff matchups in the NFL. For those of you who do not know, it is the second round, but the first in which the top two seeded teams from each conference participate.
Q: What were you thinking about throughout the game? A: I don't think I was thinking any differently than any other game.
Jan. 1 it was 70 degrees in my hometown, and I was one of the many people spending the day outside.
Headed into the 2009 College Basketball Invitational, Richmond's postseason reward for an 18-15 season, then freshman forward Darrius Garrett was used but sparingly.
Temple University was introduced to University of Richmond's first-year starting forward Derrick Williams Saturday in the Robins Center, and Williams wasn't polite. In a game that the Spiders won with a dominating first-half performance, Williams was the catalyst, scoring 12 points and pulling down nine rebounds (five offensive) in the first half. "I think he was a little bit disappointed in his game against [the University of North Carolina at] Charlotte, and I think since then, he's been so focused and so energized," Richmond coach Chris Mooney said.
Seven seconds in, the tone of Wednesday night's game was already set: Rachael Bilney was going to shoot three-pointers, and she was going to make three-pointers. While it was raining outside the Robins Center, the University of Richmond starting guard poured in 32 points inside for the Spiders, 24 of which came from a school-record eight three-point field goals. Bilney's career-best scoring mark was also the most scored by any Richmond player this season, and it helped lead her team over Atlantic 10 Conference-foe George Washington University, 74-57. "I think Rachael really stepped up and basically said, 'We're not gonna lose this game,'" Richmond coach Michael Shafer said.
Richmond's women's basketball team enters conference play with one of the top records in the Atlantic 10 Conference, despite the odds being stacked against it. Having won six straight games, the Spiders look to continue their success at home Saturday night against Temple University in each team's A-10 opener.
The Atlantic 10 Conference, which began conference games Wednesday night, looks as if it will have several strong teams competing for the title, but the University of Richmond may not be one of them. The Spiders won the A-10 tournament last season, but lost its conference opener Wednesday, 75-70, to University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
With the start of 2012 only a few hours away, The Collegian took a look back at the top 11 stories of 2011.
After starting the year 6-2, Richmond men's basketball team began to show its youth in three-straight losses to small-conference opponents. In danger of falling to .500, the Spiders were able to eke out an overtime win, 90-82, at home over Old Dominion University on Tuesday.
Two-sport sophomore Becca Wann was named a first-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America this past weekend. Wann is one of just four sophomores on the 15-member team, which is composed of players from all over the country, and the only representative from the Atlantic-10 Conference. She is just the second women's soccer player from Richmond to receive the honor, the other being Jaclyn Raveia in 2000.
After losing to the University of Virginia Cavaliers, 69-56, the Spiders had a chance Saturday to redeem themselves in front of their home crowd, playing the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and they did just that, winning 75-60. While the Spiders led throughout the majority of the game and won every statistical category, they struggled early during the first half. The Spartans employed a full-court press and kept the game close, forcing five Richmond turnovers in the first nine minutes. "We weren't being very aggressive early on when the press was put on us," Spiders coach Michael Shafer said.
Two big scoring runs by Virginia Commonwealth University, one in each half, killed any chance the Spiders had at coming out victorious Friday night on their rival's home court. The Rams went on a 14-0 run midway through the first half and a 20-4 run towards the end of the second half after University of Richmond had pulled to within two points of the lead, 47-45. Richmond point guard Cedrick Lindsay's near-perfect night shooting wasn't enough to overcome his team's turnover and foul issues.
The main concern on everyone's minds at Wednesday evening's press conference introducing the University of Richmond's new head football coach was obvious, and understandable. After making his opening remarks, Danny Rocco, who was announced as Richmond's 35th football coach in school history, was hounded by questions regarding stability.
As if facing an Atlantic Coast Conference team wasn't tough enough, the University of Richmond women's basketball team had to do it hours after it was announced that two players, including the starting point guard, were leaving the team. Despite all that, the Spiders kept the University of Virginia Cavaliers, who defeated then No.