Capital City Challenge Commences Wednesday
12/02/2003 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2003
Fans who bring a new, unwrapped toy to the game on Wednesday will receive a voucher for two tickets to one of two games men's basketball games (Hampton/Dec. 29 or Duquesne/Jan. 3). The donations benefit the Salvation Army's Toys-for-Tots Christmas drive.
If you'd like to listen to the Spider Sports Network broadcast while in the Robins Center, it is available at 88.3FM.
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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - There is one game that every basketball fan in Richmond can point to when the schedule is released. That game is Wednesday night.
The Spiders invite VCU to the Robins Center for the 58th all-time meeting between the cross-town rivals at 7:30 p.m. This will be the only chance for Spider fans to see their team at home until Dec. 23 when Hampton visits the Robins Center.
When Richmond entered the Atlantic 10 it meant that the Spiders and Rams would only meet once every season. The Rams have captured both of the meetings during the past two years, last winter in an overtime thriller.
This Wednesday, Richmond (3-2) will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak, while VCU (3-0) plays its second consecutive in-state road game.
STORYLINES
* Richmond is 11-13 all-time against VCU in the Robins Center. The Rams won the last game at Richmond, 65-54, when the Spiders set an arena record for worst field goal percentage (22.7) on Dec. 7, 2002.
* Mike Skrocki led the Spider offense in each of the first three games (17.3 ppg) -- all wins. Tony Dobbins has led the Spiders in the last two games (15.5 ppg) -- both losses.
* Along the same lines, Dobbins led the Spiders in assists during the first three wins, while Daon Merritt has led the team in the last two losses.
* Dobbins and Merritt are tied for 6th in the A-10, averaging 4.0 assists per game.
* By scoring in double figures each of the first five games, Skrocki has now totaled 50 games with 10+ points during his 99-game career. He is 40 points away from reaching the 1,000-point plateau.
* By going 3-2 during this November, the Spiders raised their streak to nine consecutive seasons with a .500-or-better record in the season's first month.
* The Spiders lead the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense (60.8) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.263).
* With his 16-point performance against UAB, Mike Skrocki - 15.8) after five games.
* The Spiders are 3-0 when leading at halftime and also perfect when Tony Dobbins leads them in assists.
GAME NOTES
There's No Place Like Home ... While Richmond did open the season with two home games, that stretch seems far in the past ... On Nov. 22, the Spiders traveled 933 miles to Kansas City for the Guardians Classic championship rounds ... After returning home on Wednesday, Richmond left again, this time for Birmingham (593 miles), on Friday ... The players, coaches and their families enjoyed Thanksgiving day in Richmond.
Anything Else I Can Do? ... Senior Tony Dobbins has once again proven indispensable on the court ... While averaging 33.6 minutes per game, Dobbins leads the team in rebounding (8.3 per game), steals (2.6 per game) and free throw percentage (81.0) ... He is tied for the team lead with 4.0 assists per game and ranks second with 10.0 points per game ... Dobbins leads the Atlantic 10 in assist:turnover ratio (4.00:1).
Double-Double Last Two ... A Spider has recorded a double-double in each of the last two contests ... Against South Carolina (Nov. 25), Jamaal Scott scored 11 points and grabbed 11 boards to notch his first as a Spider ... Against UAB (Nov. 29), Dobbins added 12 boards to 16 points -- his sixth career double-double, most of any current Spider ... Eric Zwayer (2) is the only other current UR player to have one.
Free Points ... Richmond has converted equal or more free throws in all five games this season ... After making 68 free throws to its opponents 38 in the first four games, the Spiders and Blazers both succeeded 18 times from the charity stripe on Nov. 29.
Quality Opposition ... The Spiders opponents so far this season are an early indicator of how difficult this slate will be ... As of Dec. 1, the five have compiled an 18-6 overall record (.750), with three of those six losses coming to the Spiders: Mississippi Valley State (2-1), New Hampshire (2-2), San Francisco (3-3), South Carolina (6-0) and UAB (2-0).
Lost Rocks ... After setting a program record for fewest turnovers in a season last winter (352/12.1 per game), the Spiders are averaging 15.6 after five games this year ... Richmond averaged 12.8 turnovers in their first three wins, while losing the ball 20.0 times in the last two losses.