Spiders fall to Tennessee, Alabama, go 0-2 in West Palm Beach Classic

To say the University of Richmond women’s basketball team’s schedule as of late has been difficult would be an understatement. 

In the span of just seven days, the Spiders took on some of the country’s highest talent in the University of Texas, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Alabama, with the Longhorns and Lady Volunteers holding national rankings at the No. 6 and No. 18 positions, respectively, and the Crimson Tide receiving 51 votes in the most recent Associated Press top-25 poll. 

Unfortunately for UR, its squad could not string together wins over either of those three opponents, losing to Texas 65-54 on Dec. 15 at the Robins Center, then falling to Tennessee 92-67 and Alabama 75-68 in the West Palm Beach Classic on Dec. 20 and 21. 

The Spiders started the season 9-1 and in just a week’s time now sit at 9-4 following matchups against three strong Southeastern Conference programs. 

Against Tennessee, the Spiders fell behind early, as the Lady Volunteers surged out to a 5-0 lead. Eventually, UR fell into its groove, however, and showed flashes of being able to hang with the 18th-ranked school in the nation. By the first timeout, the Spiders led 15-14. 

As the game carried on, Tennessee’s full-court press became a point of issue for the Spiders. Numerous times the Lady Volunteers’ stifling defense caused UR to turn the ball over. By the end of the game, the Spiders had tallied 17 turnovers. 

UR trailed Tennessee 23-21 heading into the second quarter, but the next 10 minutes saw the Lady Volunteers begin to create some separation. With 1:55 to go until halftime, Tennessee held a 15-point lead over the Spiders, and by the time the break came, was ahead 47-39. 

In the second half, the Spiders never quite got their legs back under them enough to challenge the Lady Volunteers’ lead. Tennessee outscored UR 45-28 over the course of the final 20 minutes of gameplay, giving the Spiders a loss in their first game of the West Palm Beach Classic. 

Despite the loss, one positive that did come from the Spiders’ bout against Tennessee was junior forward Maggie Doogan surpassing 1,000 points in her career with UR. 

Doogan was one of four Spiders in double-figures against the Lady Volunteers. Junior guard Rachel Ullstrom led the way with 19 points, Doogan finished with 14, sophomore guard Ally Sweeney chipped in 13 and graduate forward Addie Budnik had 12. 

Against Alabama, the Spiders started the game in a similar fashion as they did against Tennessee, trailing 7-0 early and 14-5 by the first timeout. 

This game proved to be much more competitive on the scoreboard down the stretch, however. 

After starting the game slowly, the Spiders fought their way back. UR went from nine points down early to just one point down, 21-20, as the first quarter came to a close. 

With momentum on their side, the Spiders then went on a 7-0 run to begin the second quarter, jumping ahead of the Crimson Tide 27-21 with 6:39 to go until halftime. Unfortunately, this burst of offense was not something the Spiders could ultimately sustain, as Alabama finished the second quarter on a 20-4 run to move ahead 41-31 heading into the break. 

UR proved a comeback was not out of the question in the third quarter, as the Spiders outscored the Crimson Tide 22-10 over the next 10 minutes. Ullstrom hit a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer, giving UR a 53-51 lead with the fourth quarter on deck.

In the fourth quarter, an and-one from Budnik gave the Spiders a 65-64 lead with 2:10 to play.  UR was on top with a one-point nod on the scoreboard heading into the final stretch. 

The Crimson Tide put together a three-point play of their own on the subsequent possession, however, and Alabama would lead the rest of the way. 

With 1:35 to play, Ullstrom hit one of two free throws, moving the Spiders within one point, but the Crimson Tide outscored UR 8-2 in those final 95 seconds of play and ultimately won the game at the free throw line. 

Doogan led the way with 15 points, while Ullstrom, Budnik, and Sweeney were not far behind. Ullstrom and Budnik scored 13 points apiece and Sweeney finished with 10. 

“I think we learned that we can play with some high-level teams, some top-tier teams,” UR Head Coach Aaron Roussell said in a postgame interview following the Alabama game. “I think we’ve proven that. Maybe we didn’t prove that we could do it for all 40 minutes, but I think during stretches, I think we proved that we belonged or at least can play with these teams, which I think bodes well for us during January and February.” 

These games in Florida were the final two in the non-conference portion of UR’s schedule. The Spiders will begin conference play against the University of Dayton at 2 p.m. on Dec. 29 at the Robins Center. 

Contact sports editor Jimmy James at jimmy.james@richmond.edu.