University of Richmond Athletics
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UTEP
UTEP Pulls Away Late To Down Spiders In CBI Semifinals
03/25/2009 | Men's Basketball
March 25, 2009
| INTERVIEWS
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond cut a double-figure UTEP lead to 58-56 with 7:59 to play, but the Miners pulled away to put an end to the Spiders season, 81-69 at the Robins Center Wednesday night in the CBI Semifinals.
Stefon Jackson, Conference USA's all-time leading scorer, led the Miners (22-12) with 34 points as UTEP advanced to play Oregon State in the best-of-three CBI Finals, beginning Monday.
The Spiders trailed 54-44 with 13:26 remaining in the game, but went on a 12-4 run to pull within two with just under eight minutes to play. UTEP answered with a 10-0 run, with six of the points coming from the foul line and the Spiders were not able to get closer than nine the rest of the way.
Junior David Gonzalvez scored 24 and grabed seven rebounds to lead Richmond, which finished the season 20-16 for its most victories since the 2003-04 season. Jarhon Giddings, the Spiders' lone scholarship senior had 10 points and eight rebounds in the final game of his career, making 4-of-8 field goals. Sophomore Kevin Anderson each scored 10 points and junior Ryan Butler added seven points.
Jackson made 10-of-21 field goals, mostly on mid-range jumpers and he connected on 14-of-16 free throws.
"Man, he's really good," Gonzalvez said of Jackson, one of the nation's leading scorers with a 24.3 average. "We knew he was good going right, but I don't think we had any idea how good."
UTEP, which outscored Richmond 26-14 at the line, had already rebuilt its lead to 63-56 on three free throws by Jackson and Randy Culpepper's basket when Justin Harper appeared to score on a dunk for the Spiders. But the officials waved it off, calling Harper instead for a charge, and then compounded Mooney's frustration by calling a foul on an apparent block by Giddings at the other end. As Mooney peeled off his jacket, he was issued his second technical foul of the game and tossed.
UTEP's Culpepper had 19 points and Julyan Stone had 12.
The Miners used a 15-5 run to open a 28-16 lead with nine minutes left in the first half. Culpepper had six points in the burst and Jackson four. After the Spiders scored nine straight points to get within 28-25, Jackson scored 10 more in a 14-8 run to end the half.
