Spiders Close Regular Season Home Slate with Commanding Win Over Rhode Island

Wednesday, February 25

Richmond, Va.

6 p.m.

University of Richmond

24-6,14-3Atlantic 10

Rhode Island

24-4,15-2Atlantic 10

Rhode Island

Richmond

Spiders Close Regular Season Home Slate with Commanding Win Over Rhode Island

02/25/2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Alicia Newell scored a career-high 20 points and five Spiders finished in double figures as the University of Richmond women's basketball team earned a statement 72-46 victory over Rhode Island Wednesday evening inside the Robins Center. With the win, Richmond improves to 24-6 overall and 14-3 in Atlantic 10 Conference play while closing the regular season 13-1 at home. The Rams fell to 24-4 overall and 15-2 in league action.

Richmond Starters
Sweeney, Newell, Ullstrom, Dewey, Doogan

How It Happened
Rhode Island opened the scoring with a layup before Rachel Ullstrom answered to tie the game at 2-2. Alicia Newell connected from three to give Richmond its first lead, but the Rams responded with a 5-0 spurt to move ahead 7-5 at the 6:33 mark. Newell buried another triple to put the Spiders back in front, and Maggie Doogan followed with a three of her own for an 11-7 edge. After each team traded free throws, Ullstrom converted a layup and then knocked down a three-pointer to spark a 14-0 Richmond run. The Spiders closed the opening quarter in dominant fashion, leading 27-9.

Rhode Island answered with a 9-0 run to open the second quarter, trimming the margin to 27-18. Newell and Sam Dewey combined for five points to stretch the lead back to 14, but the Rams finished the half on a 6-0 push, carrying a 32-24 advantage into halftime.

The Spiders regained full control in the third quarter. Back-to-back triples from Dewey and Ally Sweeney extended the lead to 38-24. After a Rams three-pointer cut the deficit to 14, Newell responded with another triple to push the margin to 44-27 at the 7:04 mark. Doogan and Ullstrom then added five straight points to build a 22-point lead. Rhode Island made a brief push with a 9-0 run to trim the deficit to 51-38, but Doogan halted the run with a three-pointer. The Rams added two free throws late, and Richmond entered the final quarter ahead 54-40.

Vanessa Harris (URI) opened the fourth quarter with a layup for Rhode Island, but Doogan answered with an and-one to push the lead back to 15. Doogan added two free throws before Dewey drained a three-pointer to ignite an 11-0 run that extended the advantage to 70-44 with just over two minutes remaining. Rhode Island managed one final basket, and Aneisha Scott converted two free throws to seal the 72-46 victory.

Notes on the Game

Alicia Newell finished with a career-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a career-high 5-of-6 from three-point range. She matched a career high with seven rebounds and added two assists and two steals.
Four other Spiders scored in double figures: Maggie Doogan with 13 points, Sam Dewey with 12, Ally Sweeney with 11 and Rachel Ullstrom with 10. It marks the first time Richmond has had five players in double figures since an 85-45 win at Loyola Chicago on Jan. 23, 2025.
Sweeney dished out a team-high seven assists, while Doogan added six.
Rayne Wright recorded Richmond's lone block.
Doogan posted a plus-38 rating in just under 30 minutes of action.
As a team, Richmond shot 25-of-51 from the field, 16-of-30 from three-point range and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. The Spiders totaled 37 rebounds, six steals and 21 assists on 25 made field goals. Richmond's 16 three-pointers matched a season-high.
Richmond moved to 24-11 all-time against Rhode Island.
The victory marks Richmond's highest NET win of the season, as the Rams entered the contest ranked No. 45.
The Spiders handed Rhode Island just its second conference loss of the season after falling 73-61 in the first meeting on Dec. 30.
Richmond held the Rams to 46 points, matching a season low for Rhode Island. The Spiders limited the Rams to nine points in the first quarter and six in the fourth quarter.
Richmond finishes the regular season 13-1 at home and undefeated in Atlantic 10 play inside the Robins Center. The Spiders have now gone undefeated in conference home games for three consecutive seasons.

From Head Coach Aaron Roussell, Maggie Doogan and Alicia Newell

Game Highlights

Up Next
The Spiders close the regular season Saturday in Philadelphia against Saint Joseph's at 2 p.m. in Maggie Doogan's hometown. Richmond will then turn its attention to the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament at the Henrico Sports and Events Center in Richmond March 4-8, with the full bracket announced at the conclusion of the regular season.