RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — Maggie Doogan scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Ally Sweeney poured in a game-high 27 points to lead the Richmond women’s basketball team to a 77-65 victory over crosstown rival VCU on Sunday afternoon at the Siegel Center.

The Spiders, who entered as heavy favorites, completed a regular-season sweep of the Rams and improved to 18-4 overall and 8-1 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. VCU fell to 8-15 and 3-6.

The most critical sequence of the game came late in the third quarter, as Richmond weathered a sustained VCU offensive push to maintain control. The Rams, led by Katarina Knezevic’s 22 points, had trimmed a double-digit deficit to just six points at 43-37 with under a minute left in the period. Knezevic then drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws, pulling VCU within three and seizing momentum.

Richmond responded immediately. On the ensuing possession, Rachel Ullstrom found Doogan for a layup to stop the run. Then, after a defensive stop, Sweeney drilled a 3-pointer from the wing just before the third-quarter buzzer, pushing the lead back to eight points and silencing the home crowd. That five-point swing in the final 40 seconds of the quarter proved decisive, as VCU never got closer than six points the rest of the way.

The Spiders leveraged superior efficiency to overcome a scrappy VCU effort. Richmond shot 53% from the field and a near-perfect 17 of 18 from the free-throw line. VCU, by contrast, managed just 43% shooting, went 4 of 18 from 3-point range and made only 5 of 11 free throws. The Rams won the battle on the offensive glass, 15-8, and forced 15 Richmond turnovers, but could not match the Spiders’ offensive execution.

Sweeney, a 5-foot-6 guard from Sparta, New Jersey, was relentless attacking the basket and from the perimeter, adding two rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes. Ullstrom, a 6-1 forward from Auburn, Massachusetts, provided crucial interior support with 15 points and eight rebounds.

For VCU, Knezevic, a 6-foot guard from Belgrade, Serbia, shouldered the offensive load. Lucy Ghaifan added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Cyriah Griffin finished with 17 points and four assists. The Rams’ offense often stalled, however, with 14 turnovers and several missed opportunities at the rim and the foul line.

Richmond established control early, using a 12-2 run in the first quarter to build a lead it would not relinquish. VCU stayed within striking distance for much of the contest, but the Spiders had an answer for every rally, often through the combination of Doogan’s inside presence and Sweeney’s perimeter scoring.

The victory extends Richmond’s winning streak to three games following a dominant win over Duquesne earlier in the week. VCU saw its two-game conference win streak snapped.

Richmond next visits Saint Louis on Wednesday. VCU travels to face Loyola Chicago next Saturday.