University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Providence
12/22/2003 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2003
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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Spiders will play their first home game in 20 days when they host Providence at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Richmond has played three games away from the Robins Center since a 70-52 win against VCU on Dec. 3. Since that game, the Spiders defeated South Florida and lost at Wake Forest and to Manhattan in Madison Square Garden.
The Spiders lost twice to Providence last season, including a season-ending defeat in the NIT's first round.
Tuesday night's game marks the debut of the SunTrust Mortgage Fan Zone. Fans who come to the ticket office prior to game time can receive a complimentary ticket to one of four Fan Zone sections.
STORYLINES
* After winning the first two games in this series (1983 and 1985), Richmond dropped both meetings, by an average margin of 23.5, last winter.
* Junior Jamaal Scott averaged 15 points in the two games against the Friars last year. He was the only Spider to score double figures in both games.
* The Friars won by 29 points (84-55) on Dec. 19, a day after the Spiders arrived in New England after flying a red-eye back from Stanford where they had beaten the Cardinal in the Stanford Invitational.
* In last year's second meeting, Providence rolled to a 67-49 win in the Robins Center in the NIT's first round. Jamaal Scott (17) was the only Spider in double figures.
* Senior Mike Skrocki (11 points) reached double figures for the ninth straight game against Manhattan. He failed to notch a three-pointer for the first time this season.
* Senior Tony Dobbins led Richmond with 15 points vs. Manhattan, it was the third time this season he led the squad in scoring. The Spiders are 0-3 in those contests.
* Providence's fourth-year assistant Phil Seymore joined Tim Welsh's staff after serving in the same capacity at Richmond from 1997-2000. During his three-year tenure, the Spiders went 56-32 (.636), including a trip to the NCAA's in 1997-98.
* The Spiders are 58-127 (.314) all-time against current Big East members.
GAME NOTES
Slow Down Tony ... An interesting trend has developed with senior Tony Dobbins in the first nine games ... In Richmond's five wins, Dobbins is averaging 7.6 points; while in the four losses, Dobbins is averaging 14.5 points ... At least on offense, it appears the Spiders are better when Tony is dishing the ball as opposed to shooting ... He averages 4.4 assists in wins and 2.3 in losses.
Against The Big East ... Richmond is 58-127 against current members of the Big East ... The Spiders have faced Virginia Tech the most (103) of any Big East member and West Virginia the second most (53) ... Richmond has never faced Miami, Notre Dame, Rutgers or Seton Hall.
Spider Football Notes ... Sophomore Stacy Tutt, who started 11 games on the football team this fall, made his collegiate basketball debut against Manhattan on Dec. 20 ... The 6'2", 215-pound guard has started four games at QB during his first two collegiate football seasons ... Providence head coach Tim Welsh played football for one year at Richmond as a walk-on running back in the early 1980s ... He then transferred to Potsdam State where he earned three letters in basketball.
Historic Venues ... Richmond has played in two of basketball's most historic arenas so far this season ... The Spiders played San Francisco and South Carolina in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium -- home to the most Final Fours in history -- on Nov. 24-25 ... Richmond's last game was in Madison Square Garden -- tabbed the most famous arena in the world -- against Manhattan in the Dreyfus Classic.