University of Richmond
CHARLOTTE
Spiders Fall At Home To Charlotte
01/13/2007 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2007
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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond men's basketball team trailed by just two at the half and by just three with 9:43 to play, but Charlotte pulled away down the stretch for a 66-51 victory Saturday night in the Robins Center.
The Spiders were down by two at the half even though they shot 33 percent from the floor, making just 6-of-18 shots. Richmond played with the 49ers for the first 10 minutes of the second half and trailed 42-39 with just over nine minutes to play.
Charlotte's Leemire Goldwire made a 3-pointer that spurred a 12-3 run over four minutes that put Charlotte up by 13 (54-41) with 5:23 to play. The Spiders did cut the gap to eight after a 3-pointer by freshman Ryan Butler with 2:43 to play, but that was as close as Richmond would get.
"They were the more aggressive team," Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said. "The game was up for grabs in the first half and we didn't seize it like I thought we should have when we had opportunities. In the second half (Charlotte was) the aggressor."
Charlotte's De'Angelo Alexander, who entered the game as the Atlantic 10's leading scorer, scored 19 of his season-high 25 points in the second half.
Freshman Brian Morris scored in double-figures for the fifth time in the last six games with 12 points. Junior Oumar Sylla scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The more physical 49ers (7-8, 1-2 Atlantic 10), dominated the boards 38-16 and did not allow the Spiders to grab an individual offensive rebound.
Charlotte's E.J. Drayton scored 13 points and Goldwire added nine. The 49ers connected on 50 percent of their field goals including 10 3-pointers. The 49ers turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, but just five times in the second.
"(Richmond is) very good at what they do," Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said. "If you lose your poise or get frustrated then that is when they capitalize. Maybe that is why we turned it over so much in the first half. We can talk about it all you want, but when guys are on the floor - in the heat of the moment - sometimes guys make mistakes. I am just really pleased with the way we played in the second half."
After shooting 50 percent from the field in the last two games, the Spiders shot 39.5 percent from the floor Saturday, just the fourth time in 16 games that Richmond has shot under 40 percent from the floor.
The Spiders (5-11, 1-2 Atlantic 10) host George Washington on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Robins Center.
