By Kyle Soppe
This game saw two of the better teams in the A-10 do battle in Richmond’s Robins Center on a nationally televised game. Richmond (18-5, 6-3) hosted St. Joseph’s (14-8, 4-4) in an important game as far as seeding for the season ending A-10 tournament is concerned. Once the Spiders got their offense rolling, it was a long night for the Hawks. Richmond convincingly beat St. Joe’s by a final tally of 78-59.
Early on, neither team could get any kind of breathing room. Sam Bilney, who has stepped into the starting role of late, opened the Spiders scoring with a gorgeous spin move and left handed finish off of the window. The Hawks leading scorer, Michelle Baker, found bulls eye shooter Katie Kuester for a mid range deuce. Abby Oliver, off of a nice backdoor pass from freshman Liz Brown, was in position to give Richmond the lead, but she was hacked before she could convert the lay up. Oliver knocked down the two freebies, giving her 77 makes on 81 season attempts, and the back and forth nature would continue.
Following Oliver’s two free throws, Brown took a perfect bounce pass from Bilney, and gave Richmond their first lead. The lead didn’t last long as Kuester lined up a triple from the left side and drained it. The high scoring Baker then took over for the Hawks offense, as she scored six of the teams next eight points in a variety of ways. A turnaround fade way, followed by two shifty moves that netted her four points in the paint, and the Hawks held a 15-13 advantage at the under eight media timeout.
But once Baker departed for a rest, the home team took full advantage. St. Joe’ s did not score with their senior leader on the bench, while six different Spiders scored during a 12-0 run. Becca Wann highlighted the spurt with her trademark tenacity. She fought in the paint for three of her five first half rebounds, one of which led to a transition opportunity. She spotted Kristina King, who was active after missing games with a concussion, for an easy lay in. A few possessions later, Wann rebounded her own misfire, and quickly put it up and in. A picturesque pull up jumper from Oliver, and the Spiders were clicking on all cylinders, taking a 27-15 advantage.
However, when Baker reentered the game, the Hawks responded with a run of their own. Baker quickly scored twice, giving her 10 of her teams 12 points in a 13 minute stretch. A floater by Wann with six seconds left halted an 8-0 Hawks run, and gave the Spiders a 33-25 halftime advantage.
The halftime intermission stalled the Hawks momentum, and Richmond dominated the second set of 20 minutes. Becca Wann led the charge, but had plenty of help. Wann opened up the second half with a twisting reverse lay up after recovering a loose ball. After buckets from Gen Okoro and Brown, Wann penetrated into the lane and displayed amazing touch, as her floater softly swished into the net. Richmond’s lead ballooned to 14, and would only get larger.
Okoro, producing at a high level despite being reduced to a reserve, continued to battle inside. She worked hard for position, and received the ball at the right block. A quick spin and shot, all in one motion, and the Hawks defender was left starring at the back of her #34 jersey. The three point play extended the Spiders advantage to 17.
Wann saw blood in the water, and she went for the kill. Oliver fired the soccer star a chest pass in the paint, which Wann quickly turned into two points. Only moments later, Wann returned the favor, as she launched a baseball pass to a wide open Oliver in the corner. The pass landed softly in Oliver’s shooting pocket, allowing the right handed sharp shooter to bury the triple. The following possession saw center Liz Brown find a slashing Wann for another easy two, giving Richmond a 56-36 lead.
From this point forward, the result was never in question. Richmond’s extreme balance is what makes them a team to be reckoned with, and today was no different. Oliver, the conferences leading scorer, led the way with 19 points, while Wann, Okoro, and Brown all registered double digit point totals. Wann’s impact was evident from her stat line, as she had a game high in rebounds (10) and assists (5). She knocked down eight of her 13 shots, including both of her attempts from down town. Brown’s 11 points and nine rebounds provided Richmond with a solid post presence, something the team desperately needs. Sam Bilney’s stat line may not jump off of the paper, but her efficient four points, two assists, and two rebounds provided stability to the fluctuating starting line up. The Spiders three headed rebounding monster (Okoro, Wann, Brown) combined for 27 rebounds, more than the entire Hawks roster.
The visitors struggled to get much going on the offensive that did not involve Baker. She tallied a team high 16 points on eight of 13 shooting. St. Joe’s was a different team with their top scorer in the game, and struggled to produce points when she was on the bench. Ashley Robinson gave the Hawks production in the paint, totaling 12 points and five boards. Katie Kuester scored 11 points, but only six points after the games first two possessions.
The Spiders get a well deserved week off, before traveling to George Washington on February 11th. The Hawks head to LaSalle on Wednesday the 8th.
Leave a Reply