Men's Basketball Post-Game Notes

01/12/2006 | Men's Basketball

By: Richmond Athletics

Jan. 11, 2006

Chris Mooney won his first Atlantic 10 Conference game and first road game as the head coach of Richmond.

Wednesday's game was just Richmond's third on an opponent's court this season. The Spiders are now 1-3 on the road and 1-1 on neutral courts.

Richmond has now won nine-straight games against Duquesne since joining the Atlantic 10 for the 2001-02 season. The Spiders are 5-0 in the Palumbo Center since joining the conference and four of those wins were by double-figures.

The Spiders handed out a season-high 17 assists.

After scoring over 60 points three times in the first 11 games, Richmond has now scored over 60 points in three of the last five games.

Richmond had four players score in double figures for the first time this season. Jermaine Bucknor and Kevin Steenberge each scored 12 points, while Gaston Moliva and Peter Thomas had 11 apiece.

The Spiders are now 4-1 when seniors Bucknor and Steenberge score in double figures. The one loss was a near upset of then No. 5 ranked Louisville.

The Spiders have still not allowed 70 points this season and have held 13 of 15 opponents to 60 points or less. Richmond is holding opponents to 53.2 points per game, which ranks first in the nation.

Due to an injury to Jarhon Giddings, Richmond had to use a different starting lineup for the first time this season.

Moliva started for the first time this season and the 11th time in his career. He played a career-high 35 minutes, scored 11 points, including his first-career 3-pointer, grabbed four rebounds and had two steals. He was 5-of-10 from the field and is shooting a team-best 58.7 percent from the field (27-of-46). After not scoring in double-figures through the first 13 games, Moliva has reached double-figures the past two contests.

Bucknor made three 3-pointers against Duquesne, the seventh time this season he has connected on at least three treys in a game. He has made three 3-pointers in three of the last four games and has made a 3-pointer in all but two games.

Richmond is 5-1 when Bucknor hits at least three 3-pointers in a game.

Bucknor tied a career high with five assists.

Sophomore Oumar Sylla just missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds. It was the second time in three games that a Spider came up one stat short of a double-double. Peter Thomas had 11 points and nine assists in the win over Longwood.

Steenberge blocked three shots to give him 31 for the season and 114 for his career. He ranks fourth all-time on Richmond's career list, 19 behind Johnathan Collins (1999-2003) for the third spot.

Moliva blocked one shot, giving him 89 for his career. He ranks seventh all-time, just two blocks away from tying Steve Kratzer (1984-88) for the sixth spot.

With seven 3-pointers, Richmond has made at least six 3-pointers in seven-straight games.

Richmond's three guards, Sylla, Thomas and Duncan McLean combined to shoot 9-of-13 (.692) from the field.

McLean made the only 3-pointer he took and is now 6-of-11 from behind the 3-point arc for a team-best 54.6 percent.

Steenberge made a 3-pointer for the second-straight game and now has eight on the season.