By Kyle Soppe
In the second round of the WNIT, the Richmond Spiders battled the Virginia Cavaliers in a rematch from December 4th (a 69-56 Cavalier victory). The final score this time around was nearly identical, as Virgina beat Richmond 68-55.
While many things have changed over the last 3+ months, Abby Oliver and Ariana Moorer are still the go-to options for their squads. Oliver (23 points, six assists, and five rebounds in the first matchup, including four three pointers) rattled off the Spiders first five points and seven of their first nine. Two of her buckets came as the shot clock melted away, possessions that seemed lost until she created her own open look. Moorer (17 points and seven rebounds in the first game) would not be outdone, recording two steals that led to four easy points in the games first 2.5 minutes.
The home team began an extended run as Oliver headed to the Richmond bench for a breather. The Spider senior subbed out at the 12:48 mark, with the score even at 9, and returned four minutes later to a 16-12 deficit. Sharp shooting from the Cavaliers extended the lead to 19-12, as Kelsey Wolfe connected on Virgina’s third trey in the early going. Even upon Oliver’s return, the Spider offense struggled to find a rhythm, often rushing a shot to beat the shot clock or to take advantage of a little breathing room. Kristina King was the only player to score for a six minute stretch, as she drove for a mid range floater with a foul and followed with a three pointer from the left wing. The Spiders inept offense placed them in a 24-15 hole, looking all to familiar to the 13 point defeat in December.
Richmond once again called upon super sub Becca Wann (the A-10’s most improved player) to bail them out of a slow start. The scrappy sophomore tallied four quick points, an assist, a rebound, and a steal in the next five minutes that saw the Spiders cut the Virgina advantage to three points, 26-23. Wann’s steal was a thing of beauty, as she walked the tight hope at mid court, sprinted down court and collected the loose ball in a tough spot under the rim. She made the hustle worth it, as she twisted her body to make for an easy deuce. Energy, passion, and hustle follow Wann around, and when she enters the game, the Spiders team has a different look, a different feel to it. The teams mentality shifts ever so slightly from a team that expects to compete to a team that expects to win with her entrance.
The Spiders evened up the game for the first time since the early minutes on a fantastic finish at the rim by Wann, set up by a perfect pass from Liz Brown. Coach Michael Shafer has to be happy with his 6’4″ freshmen, as she has displayed a knack for setting up her teammates from the high post.
But the Cavaliers answered back with a five point spurt to end the half, highlighted by a bomb at the buzzer by Lexie Gerson. The final six seconds of the first half were a great synopsis of the first 20 minutes, as Richmond couldn’t muster a great look, and it directly led to an open jumper for a Cavalier marksman.
The second half was a mirror image of the first, as the Cavs continually got open looks while the Spiders struggled. Ataira Franklin buried a corner three and Chelsea Shine swatted a hurried thee point attempt.
The difference in this game was the ability to employ the full court press. Both teams tried it, but the Spiders couldn’t crack the 1-2-2 full court trap, while the Cavs shredded the Spiders full court man to man pressure. The Spiders continually got stuck in the corners, with the baseline serving as another defender. The turnovers allowed Virgina to leak out in transition, and set up their plethora of shooters on the secondary break. Franklin specifically killed the press, as her strong ball handling and shot making ability made it seem as if she was daring Richmond to keep the press on.
The lead would hover around 10 points for the entire second half, with the Spiders never truly threatening to make a major move. For every driving Wann layup of picture perfect Oliver pull up jumper the Cavs had a a three point play from Moorer or a sweet J from Franklin. Virgina played this game as a finely tuned machined, executing flawlessly against the Richmond pressure, getting anything and everything they wanted on the offensive end. The offensive execution was nice, but this game was won on the defensive end for the Cavs. They chased Richmond’s deep threats off of the three point line, and collapsed on Gen Okoro and Wann when the ball was thrown into the paint. The Spiders were held to 55 points, 13 under their season average.
The Cavaliers were paced by the versatile Ariana Moorer, who totaled 16 points and three rebounds to go with a game high in steals (5) and assists (8). Lexie Gerson chipped in 15 points while Telia McCall just missed a double double, recording nine points and 10 rebounds.
Abby Oliver led the Spiders with 16 points in her final collegiate game. The stat stuffer of the night was Wann, who not only scored 12 points, but added a team high in rebounds (11), assists (2), and steals (3).
The Spiders end the season with a 23-9 mark, an encouraging season for the A-10’s youngest team. The preparation for next season begins, as Abby Oliver departs, Keri Soppe looks to gain health via foot surgery, and Becca Wann dusts off the soccer cleats for another season.
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