University of Richmond
Virginia Tech
Gonzalvez Drops 17 Points As Richmond Drops Virginia Tech, 52-49
01/03/2008 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2008
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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - David Gonzalvez scored 17 and freshman Kevin Smith posted a career-high 13 points leading Richmond over Virginia Tech, 52-49, Thursday night at the Robins Center. Gonzalvez drained a pair of win-sealing free throws with six seconds remaining to cap the Thursday night thriller.
A Kevin Anderson tip in with 26 seconds remaining broke a 48-48 tie and Gonzalvez's free throws clinched the Spiders' (7-6) third consecutive victory. Anderson made up for a 2-for-8 shooting night with six steals, four assists and just one turnover in a game-high 38 minutes.
Richmond, which recovered from ice-cold starts to both halves, got a three from Gonzalvez at the 5:27 mark of the second half to open the team's largest lead at 46-37. But thanks to four points from A.D. Vassallo, the Hokies (8-6) embarked on an 11-2 run over the next four minutes to pull even, before Anderson's tip.
Gonzalvez swished two free throws early in the second half, but they were the lone Spider points until the first of two electrifying dunks by Smith. The first came at the 12:04 mark and pulled Richmond within two at 31-29. He then slammed home a fast-break, alley-oop pass from Gonzalvez four minutes later, extending the lead to 39-35 and bringing the home crowd of to its feet again.
The alley-oop came in the midst of a 12-4 run as the Spiders spun a four-point deficit into an eight-point lead with seven minutes to play. Dan Geriot converted an old-fashioned three-point play in the stretch to tie the game at 35 and Anderson's layup after a steal and assist by Smith put Richmond up 37-35. Although the Tech rally tied the game late, Richmond would not trail again.
Gonzalvez finished five-of-11 from the field and drilled three treys in scoring a game-high 17 points.
Smith's 13 came on a spotless six-for-six shooting from the field. He also pulled down a team-leading five boards and dished a team-best five assists (one turnover) in 28 minutes off the bench.
Justin Harper was two-of-three from downtown and finished with eight as the Spiders' bench outscored Tech's 26-16.
Dorenzo Hudson scored 14 to pace Tech, which dropped its sixth-straight to Richmond at the Robins Center. Although the teams have not met in the River City since 1991, Tech has not won in the West End since 1981. Jeff Allen was the other Hokie in double figures with 11.
It took the Spiders nearly eight minutes to dent the scoreboard, but a Jarhon Giddings trey with 12:57 remaining in the first half cut the Hokie led to 6-3. But Tech kept the pedal to the metal and opened its lead to as many as 11 with a layup from Allen with 8:30 left.
Aided by seven points from Smith and five more from Harper, Richmond out-scored Tech 17-2 over the balance of the half to take a 25-21 lead into the break.
The meeting was the 107th all-time between in-state rivals. Although Tech leads the all-time series 68-39, the teams have split the last 14 meetings.
