University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Upstate Basketball
Men's Basketball Registers 92-70 Win In Exhibition Contest
11/07/2002 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 7, 2002
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -Junior forward Mike Skrocki (Howell, N.J.) poured in a game-high 31 points to lead four Spiders in double figures as the University of Richmond registered a 92-70 exhibition win over Upstate Basketball at the Robins Center on Thursday evening.
Junior center Eric Zwayer (Sebring, Fla.), who sat out last season with a foot injury, returned to form, scoring 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field. Sophomore transfer Jamaal Scott (Phoenix, Az.) and freshman Kevin Steenberge (Columbia, Md.) netted 10 and 12 points, respectively, in their first game in a Spiders uniform. The contest was also the Richmond debut for first-year head coach Jerry Wainwright.
Upstate Basketball put some distance between themselves and the home team in the first half. Guard Earl Johnson's triple at the 4:21 mark gave the visitors a nine-point (34-25) advantage. Richmond got a jump-start from the freshman Steenberge in the final two minutes of the half. The 6-11 center scored consecutively on two offensive put-backs in a 40-second span, giving Richmond its first lead since the 10:15 mark. The Spiders carried a 41-36 lead into the locker room.
"You will always have butterflies with the first game", said Wainwright of his team's first half struggle. "The solution is to get those butterflies to fly in formation."
The Spiders took control in the second half, never relinquishing the lead. Two straight fast break lay-ups, the first from Scott and the latter from Skrocki, put Richmond up, 70-56 at the 8:20 mark. Skrocki, who netted all four of Richmond's three-pointers, hit for three in the second stanza.
"We played more fluid in the second half, more together," Zwayer noted. "Those things will get better every game."
Richmond continues exhibition play on Friday, November 15 hosting the Latvian National Team at 7:30 p.m. at the Robins Center. Admission is free.
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