For video of UNCG coach Wendy Palmer's postgame comments, click here.
RICHMOND, Va. – Despite a career-high 13 points from Jazz Weaver, UNCG fell to Richmond on Saturday, 75-60 in nonconference women's basketball action at the Robins Center.
Janae' Stevenson had 11 points for UNCG (2-6), while Breonna Patterson added 10 to give the Spartans three in double figures.
Richmond's Abby Oliver scored a game-high 19 points, while Rachael Bilney and Genevieve Okoro had 12 each. Two-sport standout Becca Wann, the Atlantic 10 Conference's Offensive Player of the Year in women's soccer, added 10 points for the Spiders (7-2).
UNCG trailed 7-0 before coach Wendy Palmer inserted Weaver into the lineup, but Weaver quickly got the Spartans on track and put UNCG on top.
The senior from Covington, Ky., was on fire from the get-go, hitting her first three field goal attempts, including a 3-pointer, and going 4-for-4 from the free throw line as UNCG came storming back. She surpassed her career high in points for the second straight game and matched her career high in rebounds with six.
"Jazz is playing really well right now," Palmer said. "She's working really hard, coming in and getting extra shots, so I think she's only going to go up from here."
UNCG did it with defense in the early going, as Weaver got the rally going with a pair of free throws after ripping down the first of her six rebounds on the day and getting fouled on a layup attempt. She then stole the inbounds pass and hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 9 before Natalie Headley grabbed another steal on the inbounds pass and laid it in to give UNCG its first lead of the day.
The Spartans would push their lead to three points at 19-16 on a Nneka Awuruonye layup with 11:44 to play but the Spiders ripped off a 12-0 to take command. Oliver, Okoro and Kristina King had four points each in the run.
The teams would trade buckets over the next several minutes, with Richmond closing the half with a Bilney 3 and a Wann layup to take a 45-31 lead into the break.
Richmond picked up where it left off after intermission, stretching its lead to as many as 25 in the second half. UNCG's Dayshaun Richbow found her offensive rhythm in the second frame to help the Spartans get back in it, scoring all nine of her points in a 10-minute stretch midway through the half, but it was not enough.
UNCG left several points at the free throw line Saturday, going 10-for-19 from the stripe. Richmond, which entered the contest as the top free throw shooting team in the nation, was 10-for-13.
The Spiders dominated the glass, out-rebounding UNCG 45-29 and limiting the Spartans to just 11 offensive boards. Richmond, meanwhile, had 19 offensive rebounds, scoring 18 second-chance points to UNCG's three.
"One of the things we have to do consistently is come out and rebound," Palmer said. "We did not rebound well tonight and gave them three and four opportunities for offensive rebounds, so that's one thing we have to focus on moving forward."
UNCG has a week off for exams before heading down to Spartanburg, S.C., for a contest at Wofford as it returns to Southern Conference play on Dec. 17. That game is set for 6 p.m.
AGATE
RICHMOND 75, UNCG 60
UNCG (2-6)
Jazz Weaver 4-9 4-4 13; Janae' Stevenson 5-7 1-6 11; Breonna Patterson 4-8 0-1 10; Dayshaun Richbow 4-5 1-2 9; Natalie Headley 3-10 0-0 6; Nneka Awuruonye 2-7 2-4 6; Sarah Folwell 1-3 0-0 3; Jarae Savage 0-5 2-2 2; Sidnei Harmon 0-0 0-0 0; April Carson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-54 10-19 60.
RICHMOND (7-2)
Abby Oliver 8-15 1-2 19; Genevieve Okoro 4-11 4-4 12; Rachael Bilney 5-11 0-0 12; Becca Wann 4-7 1-2 10; Kristina King 2-6 2-2 7; Keri Soppe 2-5 2-2 6; Amber Battle 1-3 0-0 3; Samantha Bilney 1-1 0-0 2; Liz Brown 1-3 0-0 2; Yazmean Burgess 1-2 0-0 2; Ryann Dannelly 0-1 0-0 0; Lauren Shute 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 29-65 10-13 75.
UNCG.......................... 31 29 - 60
Richmond...................... 45 30 - 75
3-point goals--UNCG 4-11 (Breonna Patterson 2-3; Sarah Folwell 1-3; Jazz Weaver 1-3; Jarae Savage 0-2), Richmond 7-16 (Abby Oliver 2-4; Rachael Bilney 2-6; Kristina King 1-1; Becca Wann 1-1; Amber Battle 1-2; Liz Brown 0-1; Keri Soppe 0-1). Fouled out--UNCG-None, Richmond-None. Rebounds—UNCG 29 (Jazz Weaver 6), Richmond 45 (Genevieve Okoro 9). Assists--UNCG 9 (Breonna Patterson 3; Dayshaun Richbow 3), Richmond 14 (Rachael Bilney 4). Total fouls--UNCG 15, Richmond 19. Technical fouls--UNCG-None, Richmond-None. A-349
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