RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — Maggie Doogan scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Richmond Spiders dominated from the opening tip, cruising to an 81-45 victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday afternoon at the Robins Center.

A crowd of 2,590 watched the Spiders improve to 9-3 on the season, while the Wildcats fell to 2-8.

The game was effectively decided in a blistering first quarter. Richmond, operating with crisp efficiency, raced to a 25-10 lead behind a 14-0 run that spanned just over three minutes. The Spiders’ defense was suffocating from the start, forcing nine Bethune-Cookman turnovers in the opening period and converting them into easy transition opportunities.

Doogan, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Broomall, Pennsylvania, was the catalyst. She scored 14 of her points in the first quarter alone, including three 3-pointers, and finished with a double-double that included six assists and a block in just 23 minutes of action. Her performance set the tone for a Richmond offense that shot 13 for 37 from beyond the arc and assisted on 15 of its 28 made field goals.

The most important stretch of the game was that initial surge. After Bethune-Cookman’s Daimoni Dorsey hit a pull-up jumper to make it 12-4, Richmond unleashed its game-defining run. It began with a Doogan 3-pointer off a steal by Alicia Newell, included another Doogan triple and a layup, and was capped by a 3-pointer from Rachel Ullstrom. By the time Bethune-Cookman called a timeout with 7:59 left in the quarter, the Spiders led 21-4 and never looked back.

Ullstrom complemented Doogan with 23 points, four rebounds and three assists. Sam Dewey added 12 points off the bench for Richmond.

Bethune-Cookman, hampered by 26 turnovers which Richmond converted into 31 points, never found an offensive rhythm. The Wildcats shot just 31.3 percent from the field and managed only six points in the third quarter as the Spiders extended their lead.

Sanai Tyler led the Wildcats with nine points and 10 rebounds. Kailyn Peters added 10 points.

Richmond’s defensive pressure was relentless, tallying 15 steals and four blocks. The Spiders also controlled the glass, outrebounding Bethune-Cookman 44-31 and grabbing 13 offensive rebounds.

The Spiders led 47-24 at halftime and 69-30 after three quarters, allowing head coach Aaron Roussell to utilize his bench extensively in the final period.

Richmond now looks ahead to a two-game set at the Glen Allen Sports Complex this weekend, facing Alabama A&M on Saturday and Penn State on Sunday. Bethune-Cookman continues a busy week, traveling to face Stonehill on Friday in a game played in DeLand, Florida, before hosting William & Mary on Saturday.