University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
vs. Prairie View A&M (Colonial Classic)
Men's Basketball Surges Past Prairie View, 62-48
12/04/2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2005
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Richmond men's basketball team outscored Prairie View by 38 points over the last 30 minutes of Sunday's game in a 62-48 victory in the Colonial Classic at Louisville's Freedom Hall.
Senior co-captains Kevin Steenberge and Jermaine Bucknor combined for 42 of the Spiders 62 points. Steenberge registered a season-high 22 points which is his second-highest point total in a Richmond uniform, while Bucknor notched a season-high 19 points.
Richmond started off slow, trailing 20-6 midway through the first half, but the Spiders would outscore Prairie View 56-28 over the final 30:32 of the game. After trailing by 14, Richmond held the Panthers to just one field goal over a 10-minute span in the first half, similar to the 10 minutes the Spiders held Seton Hall to without a field goal on Thursday.
"We were on a big run to end the first half and then it was really hard for them to score in second half, that's kind of the way it should be," Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said. "I was happy the way we finished the game, I thought we did a very good job."
The Spiders have not allowed an opponent to reach 60 points in six games this season, the longest stretch since doing so for seven games in 2001-02. In Richmond's four victories this season, the opposition has been held to 50 points or less.
Richmond improved to 4-2 on the season, the best start since opening the season 7-1 in 2000-01. The Spiders will play No. 6 ranked Louisville on Monday night at 7 p.m. in Freedom Hall.
The Spiders thrived offensively after opening the game with just six points in the first nine-plus minutes Richmond scored a season-high 62 points, shot a season-high 46-percent from the field, only had 10 turnovers and dished out a season-high 16 assists.
"When we came back, we came back our way, with our offense and by stopping them," Mooney said. "It wasn't like it was a barrage of 3-pointers or their turnovers, it was more our way of coming back. We chopped into the lead and then extended it. In a way it was a lot like Seton Hall, once we got going, we were just systematic. We just improved and improved and improved."
The Spiders, which had relied heavily on the 3-pointer this season, connected on a season-low four treys against Prairie View, while scoring a season-best 34 points in the paint.
"We need two point baskets," Mooney said. "The more we can manufacture them, whether it's through our offense or on follow-ups, we have to do whatever it is that we need to do to get more inside."
Steenberge led the Spiders in scoring for the third-straight game, making 6-of-9 shots from the field and 10-of 11 free throws. He has now made 17-of-28 shots (.607) from the field over the last three games. Steenberge also had five rebounds and swatted three shots for the second-straight game.
Bucknor made a season-high eight field goals and hit two 3-pointers, his 10th time in the last 11 games that he connected on multiple treys. Bucknor had eight rebounds and hit his only free throw attempt and has made 22-of-24 (.917) from the foul line this season.
Richmond, which has struggled out of the gate in each game this season, trailed 20-6 with 10:28 left in the first half when the Spiders went on a 16-2 surge that included 11 unanswered points.
"Unlike yesterday I don't think we came out with a lack of focus or intensity, we were just on our heels a little bit," Mooney said. "They got a couple of quick shots early against us. I'm searching for why we would start that slowly. We don't want that to become a habit, which it kind of has started to be. Do we need to start a different guy, do we need to come out in different things? We're going to sit down and think of different things we can do to help prevent it."
The 16-2 pulled Richmond into a 22-22 tie, but Prairie View hit a tough 3-pointer in the final minute of the half to take a 25-22 lead into the locker room. The Panthers scored to open the second half for a 27-22 lead, but the Spiders came back to take a 30-29 lead on a 3-pointer by Bucknor.
Prairie View tied the game at 31, but a 3-pointer by Jarhon Giddings put Richmond up for good and the lead reached double-figures (48-38) on a lay-up by Steenberge with 8:18 to play. A tip-in by junior Gaston Moliva gave the Spiders a 16-point lead in the final minute, their largest lead of the game.
Richmond will play No. 6 ranked Louisville (3-0) on Monday night at 7 p.m.
