Spider Sports Recap: Weeks of Nov. 25 and Dec. 2

Men’s Basketball

Nov. 25: Win 62-52 vs. University of Wisconsin, Roman Legends Classic, Brooklyn, New York

The Spiders got off to a successful start in the Legends Classic Monday night with a victory over the Badgers in the semifinal round. The game was UR’s first game of the season away from home, and the team maintained its perfect record as it led Wisconsin for more than three quarters of the game. Redshirt junior guard Blake Francis led the team with 19 points and added six assists, a career-high. Forward Grant Golden, also a redshirt junior, tied his career-best for rebounds with 12 and had 16 points in the win. 

Nov. 26: Loss 65-79 vs. Auburn University, Roman Legends Classic, Brooklyn, New York

UR suffered its first loss of the season as it fell to No. 18 Auburn Tuesday night in the finals of the Legends Classic. The teams traded the lead back and forth in the first half and went into halftime with the Spiders leading by a point, but the Tigers scored first in the second half and never relinquished the lead. UR was hampered in the game by poor 3-point shooting and by Auburn’s 31 free-throw attempts, of which it made 22. Golden, who contributed 14 points for the Spiders, led the team in scoring. 

Nov. 30: Win 64-44 vs. Boston College

Even without Golden, who missed the game with an ankle injury, the Spiders were able to pull off a 20-point win over Boston College. After a back-and-forth first half, the teams went into the locker room with the Eagles leading by one. UR took control in the second part of the game, though, outscoring Boston College by 21 points in a half that included a 23-2 run by the Spiders. Junior guard Jacob Gilyard had 22 points, six assists and five steals, all team highs, in the win. The victory over Boston College, a member of the Atlantic Coastal Conference, marks the Spiders’ third win over a power-conference team this season.

Dec. 3: Win 80-63 at Hampton University

Despite playing without two of their normal starters, the Spiders achieved a decisive win in their first true away game this season. The team had to make up for the absence of Golden and junior forward Nathan Cayo, who were both out with ankle injuries, and was aided in this effort by strong performances from redshirt junior guard Blake Francis and Gilyard. Francis led the team in scoring, matching his career high with 29 points. Gilyard, who scored 18 points, achieved his 1,000th career point near the end of the first half and recorded a career best in assists with 10.  

Dec. 8: Win 75-57 vs. University of South Alabama

The Spiders defeated South Alabama to improve their record to 8-1, marking their best record in nine games since 1985. Both teams spent time in the lead during the first half, and UR went into halftime with a five-point lead. The Spiders took control of the game in the second half, though, scoring 46 points and leading by as much as 26 points before finishing the game ahead by 18. Redshirt junior guard Nick Sherod recorded 17 points and nine rebounds in the win. 

Women’s Basketball

Nov. 29: Win 79-67 at Coastal Carolina University, Coastal Carolina Thanksgiving Classic, Conway, South Carolina

After a difficult start, the Spiders played a strong second half to hand Coastal Carolina its first loss of the season Friday afternoon. The Chanticleers led for almost the entire first half, but the Spiders took the lead with about four minutes left in the third quarter and never let go. The team was buoyed by a solid performance from beyond the arc in the second half, as it made 10 of 14 in the last two quarters. Sophomore forward Emma Squires led the team with 22 points, a career-high. 

Dec. 1: Loss 57-61 vs. Bradley University, Coastal Carolina Thanksgiving Classic, Conway, South Carolina

The Spiders led for almost the whole first half, but ultimately fell to Bradley in the last game of the Coastal Carolina Thanksgiving Classic. The Spiders were unable to push past a strong third-quarter performance from the Braves, who overcame a nine-point deficit at the half to take the lead with about four minutes left in the quarter. They would lead for the rest of the game, although the Spiders came within a point with a minute left to play. Junior guard Alex Parson led UR with 15 points, and sophomore guards Kate Klimkiewicz and Aniyah Carpenter each added 10. 

Dec. 5: Win 64-52 at University of Maryland Eastern Shore

The score was tied for 30 seconds in the first quarter, but the Spiders never fell behind Maryland Eastern Shore as they cruised to an easy victory. UR would lead by as much as 17 points, and even though the Spiders were outscored 16-21 in the fourth quarter, they still won by a comfortable 12-point margin. Senior forward Jaide Hinds-Clarke scored 18 points, a season-best, in the win. Sophomore forward Emma Squires also had a big day, as she notched 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for her first double-double and had a career-high in assists with 6. 

Dec. 8: Loss 69-70 vs. Furman University

Furman took a one-point lead with a minute and a half left to play, and the Spiders were unable to score, suffering their first home loss this season. Klimkiewicz led the team with 17 points in the loss. The teams were evenly matched throughout most of the game, trading the lead 10 times. After the Paladins took the one-point led near the end of the match, UR had multiple chances to come back, including two free throw chances in the final two seconds, but it was not able to capitalize on any of them. 

Women’s Swimming and Diving

Dec. 7: Loss 123-173 at The George Washington University

The Spiders lost to George Washington in their last meet of 2019 but placed first in eight of the competition’s 16 events. Sophomore Maggie Purcell was responsible for three of those first-place finishes, as she won the 200-yard freestyle, the 500 freestyle and the 200 IM. Senior Hannah Gouger also saw success, winning both backstroke events. In addition to Purcell and Gouger, three other Spiders won events: first-year Claire O’Shaughnessy in the 200 butterfly, sophomore Emma Yeakley in the 1-meter diving event and junior Alex Beran in the 3-meter diving event.   

Women’s Track and Field

Dec. 8: Christopher Newport University Holiday Open, Newport News, Virginia

The Spiders got their indoor track season off to a successful start at the CNU Holiday Open, tying with Hampton for first at 128.50 points. Several Spiders won events or had podium finishes, but the team had particular success in the 600-meter race and the 60-meter dash. UR earned the top three spots in the 600-meter as senior Brooke Fazio not only placed in first but also broke a facility record with her 1 minute, 31.94 second time, and senior Maria Acosta and sophomore Rachel Helbling placed second and third, respectively. The team had similar success in the 60-meter final, with sophomore Tamar Accius, sophomore Kayla Woods and senior Morgan Towe coming first, second and third.   

Contact copy chief Savannah Wilson at savannah.wilson@richmond.edu.