University of Richmond Athletics
First Market Bank City Championship This Saturday
12/10/2004 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 10, 2004
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RICHMOND (3-2) vs. VCU (2-3)
Siegel Center - 7:30 p.m.
TV: WRIC-TV 8
Radio: Spider Sports Network (Sportsradio 910 in Richmond; on or about 89.7FM in the Siegel Center)
Internet: www.RichmondSpiders.com
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The fourth-annual First Market Bank City Championship will be televised live for the first time when WRIC-TV 8 broadcasts Saturday's crosstown rivalry between Richmond and VCU at 7:30 p.m. in the Siegel Center.
Long-time Channel 8 anchor Chip Tarkenton calls the action for the ABC affiliate. Richmond Hall of Fame point guard Greg Beckwith and former collegiate coach Joe Cantafio will offer analysis.
The Spiders captured last year's meeting 70-52 in the Robins Center, but the Rams hold a 34-24 edge in the all-time series.
Richmond returns to the Robins Center next Friday night to host UAB at 7 p.m. The Blazers advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in last year's tournament.
STORYLINES
*The Spiders return to the Siegel Center where they are 1-2 since it opened for the 1999-2000 season. Richmond's last visit was Dec. 7, 2002 when the Rams won 73-68 in overtime. The Spiders' only win in the Siegel Center was Feb. 27, 2001 (72-54). That 18-point victory equals the largest in the series for Richmond, also reached in last year's 70-52 triumph (Dec. 3, 2003).
*Richmond is 5-3 against teams from the Commonwealth under third-year head coach Jerry Wainwright. That record includes a 1-1 mark against VCU and a loss earlier this year at Virginia.
*Sophomore Daon Merritt has dished 5+ assists in all five games this season, including a career-high eight at Wake Forest. He recorded 5+ assists in only five of 33 games last winter. Merritt leads the Atlantic 10 with 6.00 assists per game and is the only Spider player to reach double figures in all five games.
*Freshman Courtney Nelson celebrated his first collegiate start with a career-high 10 points at Wake Forest. Nelson made three treys against the Demon Deacons.
*Every shot Patrick O'Malley has taken against the Rams has been a three-pointer. O'Malley is 3-for-7 (.429) in three contests against VCU, including 3-for-6 last winter. Those are the only nine points he has scored against the Rams.
