by Mikael DeSanto
Sports Assignment Editor
The St. Bonaventure University women’s basketball team dropped its third of four conference games so far this season today, losing to the Richmond Spiders 61-54.
The Bonnies (6-10, 1-3 A10) nearly matched the Spiders (8-8, 2-1 A10) from the field, shooting 32.8 percent to the Spiders 33.9 percent. But they struggled from three-point range, finishing 1-13 (7.7 percent) while the Spiders finished 6-24 (25 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Bonnies topped the Spiders in points in the paint 36-20, but fell to them in bench points 21-8.
The started off slow offensively, with the teams combining to score 12 points through the first five minutes of the first quarter. The Spiders were able to jump out to a 13-4 off of a 9-0 run between the 6:49 and 1:53 marks. They finished the quarter leading 14-7.
Both teams had stretches of scoring throughout the second quarter, with the Bonnies making pushes into the lead. But they were only able to get as close as five points, which came at the start of the quarter, and trailed by 11, 33-22, at the half.
Graduate forward Gabby Richmond scored 11 points in the first half to lead the Bonnies and freshman forward Ragan Wiseman led the Spiders in the half with six points.
The third quarter started with both teams matching each other with baskets, until the Bonnies went on a 10-2 run between the 7:43 and 5:46 marks of the quarter to bring them to within three. A scoring drought followed the run, lasting nearly three minutes before they began trading baskets again. The quarter ended with the Spiders back up by six points, 45-39.
The Bonnies continued to match the Spiders in the fourth quarter, keeping themselves within striking distance of the lead and going into the final minutes of play down by three. But the Spiders outscored the Bonnies in that final minute 6-2, securing their victory.
Richmond, despite fouling out, finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for a team-leading double-double. Junior guard Mariah Ruff added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists to the offensive effort.
Senior guard Janelle Hubbard led the Spiders in scoring with 16 points, with Wiseman contributing 11 points and seven rebounds. Graduate guard Lauren Tolson grabbed 14 rebounds for the Spiders.
The Bonnies will head to Saint Louis to take on the Billikens on Wednesday at 12 p.m.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
