University of Richmond
La Salle
Men's Basketball Has Four-Game Home Win Streak Snapped
01/19/2008 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2008
SpiderTV: PRESS CONFERENCE 
| HIGHLIGHTS
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond erased a 12-point first-half deficit to take the lead with under eight minutes to play, but La Salle's Darnell Harris hit his sixth three-pointer of the game to put the Explorers up five with 4:15 left and they never looked back in a 76-67 win on Saturday in the Robins Center.
Harris finished with a game-high 24 points, making 9-of-11 field goals, including 6-of-7 three-pointers. The Explorers (7-9, 2-1 Atlantic 10) made 72.7 percent of their threes (8-of-11) and 58.7 percent of their field goals, both season-highs against the Spiders.
"I thought we attacked on offense, I don't think we were great, but we were fine," Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said. "Our defense was the problem."
Sophomore David Gonzalvez led the Spiders with 21 points, making 7-of-13 field goals and 4-of-7 three-pointers. Freshman Kevin Smith scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Sophomore Dan Geriot, who scored a career-high 31 points in the Spiders' triple-overtime victory over La Salle 10 days ago, was held to 11 points on Saturday.
"They were very much concerned with him, not letting him get off," Mooney said. "They did a really good job on him, surrounding him. That forced us into attacking a little bit more from the perimeter and not being able to throw it in as much."
The Spiders have been a strong first-half team all season, but fell behind 11-3 in the opening minutes of the game. Richmond came back to tie the game at 16 with 12:12 remaining in the half, but La Salle would go up by 12 on a trey by Harris with 3:04 left in the first half.
Two buckets by freshman Kevin Anderson pulled the Spiders within seven at the break and the Spiders cut the gap to one (43-42) with 15:51 left. Less than three minutes later with the help of another three-pointer by Harris, La Salle had the lead back up to nine.
The Spiders again came back, this time taking their first lead of the game (55-54) on two free throws by Gonzalvez with 7:49 left. Richmond led again (57-56) with 6:10 left on a layup by senior Gaston Moliva, but another Harris three helped ignite a run that had La Salle up 11 in the final minute.
"I think we guarded much bit better in the second half," Mooney said. "We were more aggressive and made it harder on them to score in the second half, but we did not do a good job in the first half."
Rodney Green scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds, had six assists and four steals for the Explorers. Ruben Guillandeux added 12 points for La Salle.
The Spiders have a week off before hosting nationally ranked Dayton on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. That game is Hall of Fame night as former Spider standout Curtis Blair will be one of the former student-athletes inducted.
