University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
OLD DOMINION
Spiders Off To Second-Best Start In 55 Years After Win Over ODU
12/02/2009 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Junior Justin Harper led five Spiders in double-figures as Richmond defeated Old Dominion 67-60 Wednesday night to improve to 7-1, tying the school's second-best start in over 50 years.
Harper scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half as the Spiders overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to improve to 5-0 in the Robins Center this season.
Seniors David Gonzalvez and Ryan Butler, and junior Kevin Anderson each had 13 points. Junior Dan Geriot had 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Receiving votes for both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top-25 Polls, the Spiders found themselves trailing by 11 with 6:33 left in the first half Wednesday night against an Old Dominion team that is picked to win the CAA.
The Spiders closed the gap to four in the closing minutes of the first half, but Old Dominion's Darius James banked in a three-pointer to put the Monarchs up 31-22 at the half.
The Spiders opened the second half on an 8-0 run behind an old-fashioned three-point play by Gonzalvez, a three-pointer by Butler and a jumper by Geriot.
Richmond's run continued to 15-2 after a tip-in by Harper, another three-pointer by Butler and two free throws by Anderson put the Spiders up 37-33.
The Spiders put together another run midway through the second half, outscoring Old Dominion 15-4 to take a 12-point lead on an old-fashioned three-point play by Harper.
Old Dominion cut the gap to five on a three-pointer by Trian Iliadis with 3:04 remaining, but the Spiders made their free throws down the stretch to win their fifth-straight.
Richmond, which opened the season playing eight games in 20 days, now has 10 days off before playing at city-rival VCU on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Insurance Black & Blue Classic.
