If you’re looking for the happiest, most enthusiastic, most appreciative women’s basketball player in the state, begin and end your search in the Robins Center with Kara Powell. Powell, the University of Richmond’s junior point guard, has returned to full-time—and pain-free—duty following a pair of complicated surgeries on her left knee.

Cecil Flowe has coached football at Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga., since 1991. He doesn’t remember making the acquaintance of any University of Richmond recruiters at his school, located outside Atlanta, until about five years ago. “Since, they have gotten some great players from the [Atlanta] area,“ Flowe said of the Spiders, who shared the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association title and won the 2008 Football Championship Subdivision title.

Who’s afraid of the big, bad Huskies? Not the University of Richmond Spiders, apparently. Richmond coach Michael Shafer yesterday confirmed that his club will face the University of Connecticut, the reigning champions of women’s Division I basketball, in a round-robin Thanksgiving tournament hosted by the Huskies next fall. The event, scheduled for Nov. 27-29, will bring Richmond, Clemson and Hofstra to Connecticut. Each of the four teams will play three games in three days.

Different feelings, same preparation VCU, UR women put emotion behind them as they train The women’s basketball teams from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond crossed paths, briefly, while dealing with the powerful emotions spawned on Selection Monday. VCU, bound for the NCAA tournament for the first time in the program’s 34-year history, yesterday began its descent from the heights of elation. And descend it must. The Rams, 26-6 and seeded 10th in the Oklahoma City Region, have drawn a first-round date with seventh-seeded Rutgers on the Scarlet Knights’ home floor.

Of this much, Michael Shafer is certain: Even if the bubble bursts, his players’ enthusiasm will remain intact. Shafer’s University of Richmond women’s basketball team, 21-8 and seeded fourth in the Atlantic 10 tournament, probably needs to win at least twice this weekend in Charlotte if it is to sustain its odds-defying pursuit of an NCAA at-large bid. But should an NCAA invitation not be forthcoming, Shafer said, this team will happily say “yes” to the NIT.

About 60 seconds after the University of Richmond announced a contract extension for men’s basketball coach Chris Mooney yesterday, his boss made clear the program’s ambitious goals. Said Spiders Athletic Director Jim Miller: “We expect to consistently and successfully compete for Atlantic 10 championships and earn post-season opportunities that will enable the University of Richmond to be recognized nationally as fielding quality basketball programs.“

The University of Richmond has extended the contracts of men’s basketball coach Chris Mooney and women’s basketball coach Michael Shafer. UR announced the extensions at a news conference this afternoon.

Maryland’s veterans made certain that a banner day at the University of Richmond would not include the Spiders’ current women’s basketball team.

The Spiders knew what was coming: a floorburns-and-bruises kind of game that no one—not even the winner—enjoys. “It was a long game—I mean, a really long game,“ said University of Richmond point guard Brittani Shells in the glad-it’s-over-with aftermath of last night’s 56-48 homecourt victory over crosstown rival Virginia Commonwealth University. “It was rough and physical and after a while I started thinking, ‘Oh, man. Is this thing ever going to end?‘“