GLEN ALLEN, Va. – Richmond shot 65 percent from the field and hit 12-of-18 from 3-point range to defeat the Columbia women's basketball team, 85-76, Sunday at the Henrico Sports and Events Center. The game served as the 2024 Holiday Cheer & Gear Classic presented by "What's Your Game Plan?".
Columbia (7-4) fell behind by as many as 12 in the first quarter but sliced the margin down to a single point on multiple occasions in the second and third quarters. They entered the fourth in a four-point game but Richmond (9-1) went on a 10-0 run to take a 14-point lead with 5:16 to play. The Lions never fully recovered.
Five Spiders scored in double figures, led by 21 from Maggie Doogan and 20 from Rachel Ullstrom. Ullstrom was 5-for-6 from long range, including back-to-back triples to cap the 10-0 fourth-quarter run.
Columbia was led offensively by 21 points from senior
Kitty Henderson. She stuffed the stat sheet with five boards, an assist, a steal and a block. Senior
Cecelia Collins scored 17 with a team-high six rebounds.
Riley Weiss was 4-for-10 from the perimeter on her way to 16 points. Meanwhile, first-year
Mia Broom had 11 off the bench to go with four assists, four steals and two rebounds.
Columbia controlled the glass and cleaned up on offensive rebounds, outscoring Richmond 17-0 in second-chance points. The problem was that Richmond didn't miss often, generating open looks from three and using Doogan's post moves underneath.
Richmond's hot-shooting day started from the opening tip. The Spiders shot 79 percent (11-14) in the first quarter and hit 4-of-6 from downtown. Addie Budnik scored 11 of her 16 points in the period and was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Columbia hung in there, pulling back within seven, 27-20, by the end of the first quarter. They started the second on a 7-1 run and got back within a point on a
Riley Weiss three, 28-27. Richmond answered with the next seven, including five straight from Doogan, to regain some breathing room. Columbia trailed by four at the intermission.
Richmond shot 72 percent in the first half but could not shake the Lions.
Cecelia Collins had 12 of her 17 at the break and was a perfect 3-for-3 at the foul line. Columbia ended the game 10-for-11 at the charity stripe.
The Lions started the third quarter with the first four points, including two free throws off an intentional foul called against Richmond. Again, they cut the margin to a single point but Richmond never surrendered the lead.
Columbia won the second and third quarters but still trailed entering the fourth.
Mia Broom connected on another three to get the Lions within four. However, Richmond's big run ensued.
Riley Weiss hit a second-chance triple following Columbia's timeout to stop the bleeding; however, the damage was done.
The Lions have a 13-day break from games for exams. They return to action on Saturday, December 21, for a local New York City matchup at Wagner (1-7). Opening tip from the Spiro Sports Center in Staten Island is scheduled for 12 noon.
FOLLOW THE LIONS
For the latest on the Columbia women's basketball, follow @CULionsWBB on
Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook, or on the web at
GoColumbiaLions.com.
