University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Marist
Men's Basketball Edged By Marist, 64-62
11/24/2007 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2007
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | SpiderTV Wrap-Up 
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Richmond men's basketball team played well enough to take a 17-point second-half lead, but the youthful Spiders could not hold onto that lead in a 64-62 loss at Marist on Saturday night.
The Spiders led 47-30 with 13:36 to play on a layup by senior Oumar Sylla, but Marist used a 16-2 run over the next 4:42 to quickly close the gap to three with 8:54 remaining.
Richmond would get the lead back up to seven (57-50) on a three-pointer by Sylla with 4:54 left, but Marist's Louie McCroskey answered with a 3-pointer and Ben Farmer hit one on the next possession to trim the gap to one with 3:32 to play.
Sophomore Dan Geriot hit a jumper to give Richmond a 59-56 lead with 2:54 remaining, but a layup by McCroskey had Marist back within one. A jumper by Spongy Benjamin with 51 seconds left gave the Red Foxes their first lead since the 5:31 mark in the first half and Marist would hang one for the win.
"We've just got to do a better job finishing games," Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said. "We played well enough to win, we were up 17, but we just have to close games out."
It marked the second-time in four losses that the Spiders have let a double-digit lead slip away. Six of Richmond's seven games have decided by six points or less and five of them have been decided by three points or less.
Geriot led the Spiders with 21 points, 17 of which came in the first half, when Richmond closed with a 13-2 run to take a 33-22 lead at the break.
Richmond came out strong in the second half and opened up a 47-30 lead with 13:36 to play, Marist had the deficit back to single-digits by the 10-minute mark and the Spiders were not able to hold off the charge.
Geriot has scored 20-plus points in four of the last five games and reached double-figures in the last five games. Sylla had 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, while sophomore Ryan Butler and freshman Kevin Anderson scored seven points apiece.
Richmond returns home after a two-game road swing to host William & Mary on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
