Richmond overcomes 30-minute deficit to secure a double-digit win

In a hard-fought Senior Day game at the Robins Center, the University of Richmond women’s basketball team overcame a challenging start to defeat Saint Louis University 59-49 on Feb. 16.

This victory extends the Spiders’ winning streak to 12 games, improving their overall record to 22-5 and 13-1 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. 

With this win, Head Coach Aaron Roussell secured his 60th Atlantic 10 Conference victory. 

“Nothing came easy today, and I thought St. Louis was doing a fantastic job of taking us out of our comfort zone,” Roussell said, beginning the postgame conference. “Maybe there were some emotions, you know, because of the week and because of Senior Day. [St. Louis] came out with a lot of energy. I think we came out on our heels.”

The Spiders struggled offensively at the start, shooting just 16.7% from the field in the first quarter, allowing the Billikens to build an 11-point lead, capped by a 7-0 SLU run to close the period. 

The Billikens challenged the Spiders with a full-court press, resulting in a surprisingly low-scoring period. With the women’s team known for its title as the most effective shooting team in the country, a period of only seven scored points speaks to the aggressive defense posed by SLU. 

Richmond gradually found their rhythm in the second quarter, narrowing the deficit to 32-25 by halftime. UR struggled to narrow the gap, with SLU playing their lead well into the third quarter. With only a minute left of the third quarter, the Billikens extended their lead to double digits. Sophomore guard Ally Sweeney scored a three-pointer in the last minute of the period, and graduate forward Addie Budnik followed suit with a layup. This narrowed SLU’s lead to six points.

St. Louis maintained a lead up until the first minute of the fourth quarter, with UR turning the tide with a tightened defense. The Billikens were only able to score 18 points in the second half of the game. A pivotal moment occurred when Budnik scored two back-to-back three-pointers in the first minute of the fourth quarter, tying the game and shifting the momentum in UR’s favor. 

“We have had a couple rough shooting games," Budnik said in the postgame conference. “We were missing easy shots, but we knew we had to get some up there, and those just happened to tie the game and get some momentum going.”

The last eight minutes of the game proved to be a crucial turning point for UR. After tying the game a minute into the fourth quarter, the Spiders managed to outscore St. Louis 22-6. Richmond achieved a two-point lead with less than five minutes left of the game. The game ended with five fouls from the opposing team, resulting in Richmond’s 10-point lead and victory. SLU’s 23 personal fouls speak to the intensity of the team. 

“I think at this point in time, any team is trying to bring their best against us,” junior forward Rachel Ullstrom said when asked about the challenges the Spiders faced against the Billikens. “And I think they're a strong, physical, very intense team. We kind of had a deficit for most of the game, and I think we still were able to find ways to score with their intense defense.”

Budnik ended the game with 16 points and six rebounds, with Ullstrom matching her with 16 points and a team-high of seven rebounds. 

Junior forward Maggie Doogan ended her 24-game double-scoring streak, finishing with eight points, but still led the team with four blocks. As one of the consistent top scorers for the Spiders, Doogan’s struggle speaks to the defensive demeanor of the opposing team, challenging UR both in the paint and beyond the arc. Sweeney had a team-high of four assists.

“Coming into the game, I think we kind of got a little sped up with their defense, not really looking for the best shot on the floor,” Ullstrom said. “Towards the end of the game, we looked to get the best shot. I think that benefited us a lot.”

With only a few regular-season games remaining, Richmond looks toward maintaining its momentum. 

The Spiders will face George Washington University at the Robins Center on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. The Revolutionaries come into the game following a defeat by University of Dayton, contributing to an overall 4-10 conference record. GW and UR last met on Feb. 11, when the Spiders secured a 22-point win. Richmond currently holds a two-game win streak over George Washington.

“We’ve got to keep preparing the way we have been,” Ullstrom said. “Every team is out to get us at this point, and just going into every practice with the mindset we have to get better.” 

Contact sports writer Farah Šertović at farah.sertovic@richmond.edu