BOX SCORE
Richmond, Va. – Ruthanne Doherty finished in double figures, 12 points, in her hometown game as the Hawks fell to the Richmond Spiders 69-56 on Thursday afternoon. Hartford falls to 8-4 with the loss, while the Spiders are now 10-2 following the victory. Doherty's 12 points led two players in double figures as Daphne Elliott contributed 10.
The Hawks shooting struggled in the second half as they would finish the game shooting 42.3 percent (22-of-52) overall, but shot just 29.6 percent in the second half (8-of-27). The Hawks finished the first 20 minutes shooting 56 percent from the floor (14-of-25). Genevieve Okoro led all players in the game with 19 points, finishing with a double double adding 10 rebounds, as the Spiders finished the game shooting 40.3 percent overall (25-of-62).
Richmond would also win the battle of the boards by a 43-28 advantage in the end, including 17 rebounds on the offensive end. Elliott led the Hawks rebounding efforts with eight boards. Sophomore Alyssa Englert finished the game with seven assists, the most for a Hawks in 2011-12. Englert's seven assists is also a career-high. Elliott would also finish with six assists, a career best for her.
Hartford would open the game with a bucket off the opening tip with Doherty connecting on a bucket under the hoop. Richmond would answer with the next three points to take a one-point lead and after trading that lead six times over the next four minutes, Hartford would use a 10-0 run to take an 18-9 lead with 11:30 to play before the break.
The Hawks biggest lead of the game would come off a three pointer from Elliott with 9:02 remaining before the break, which gave Hartford a 21-11 advantage. The Hawks and Spiders would trade baskets over a three minute span, before the home teak cut into the Hawks lead with a 13-1 run that spanned just under five minutes. That run allowed Richmond to take a 32-29 lead with 1:45 remaining.
Hartford would answer with two buckets in the final two minutes matched by just one, a second chance layup, from Wann which led to Richmond taking a one-point advantage into the halftime break 34-33. Wann would lead all players in the first half with 12 points.
The Hawks came out of the break with intensity, scoring the first four points to retake the lead, a 38-34 advantage with less than 1:30 off the clock. Following a three point play from Doherty, which gave Hartford a 41-36 lead wit17:48 remaining, Richmond would respond with a 13-2 run that gave them a six point lead with 13:38 on the clock. The Hawks only bucket in that run was a layup from Taylor Clark.
Freshman Shanise Bultron would answer that run with her second three pointer of the game, which pulled the Hawks within three 49-46 with 12:50 remaining. Richmond would respond with another run, this time a 10-2 scamper that led to an 11-point lead at 59-48, the largest advantage for either team to that point.
The Hawks would begin cutting into that lead with four straight points, using a three pointer from Amber Bepko to pull within seven. Elliott would then answer a pair of Richmond free throws with another three point bucket, which pulled the Hawks within six (61-55), the closest they would get down the stretch.
As the Hawks shooting went cold following Elliott's three Richmond would go on an 8-0 run to retake a double digit lead, as much as 69-51 with just over two minutes remaining. The Hawks would respond with a single free throw in the final minute, which led to the final tally, 69-56 in favor of the home Spiders.
Hartford will next play on Thursday, December 29 in the second to last game before the New Year as the Hawks welcome Harvard to West Hartford. The Hawks will be looking for revenge following an 85-61 Harvard victory last season in Cambridge. Hartford and Harvard are scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip at the Chase Family Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion.
