University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
VMI
Men's Basketball Holds Down Nation's Top-Scoring Team In 71-69 Win
12/30/2007 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 30, 2007
Box Score |
Notes
| SpiderTV Wrap-Up 
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond men's basketball team held the nation's top scoring team to its second lowest total of the season in a 71-69 victory over VMI on Sunday night in the Robins Center
Freshman Kevin Anderson led a balanced Spider attack which featured eight players scoring at least six points. Anderson scored in double-figures for the third-straight game, leading the Spiders with 12 points. Sophomore David Gonzalvez had 11 and sophomore Dan Geriot scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and tied a career high with five assists.
Richmond shot a season-high 56 percent from the floor and won the battle of the boards (34-23) for the second-straight game as the Spiders evened their record at 6-6.
The Keydets came into the game with a three-game winning streak and were averaging a nation-leading 97.2 points per game. The only team to hold VMI to less than the 69 the Spiders held them to Sunday was Ohio State on Nov. 25.
Richmond trailed by as many as 14 in the first half, but cut the gap to one before halftime and would lead by 11 with under seven minutes left in the second half. That is when VMI mounted a furious comeback, using a 13-0 run to take the lead at 65-63 with 3:50 remaining.
But for the second-straight game, the Spiders closed the game strong. Anderson scored on a runner in the lane to tie the game at 65. After a VMI free throw put the Keydets up one, Geriot converted a jumper in the lane with 1:08 left that would put Richmond up for good.
Anderson and senior Gaston Moliva made a pair of free throws down the stretch as Richmond won for the third time in the last four home games.
Moliva, who was in his fifth game back from a stress fracture in his foot, clearly showed more explosiveness Sunday. He scored seven points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots in 22 minutes. Senior Oumar Sylla scored six points and grabbed nine rebounds, all on the defensive end. Freshman Justin Harper scored seven points.
Richmond closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Thursday when the Spiders host Virginia Tech at 6 p.m.
