University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
#17 TEMPLE
Richmond Topples No. 17 Ranked Temple, 71-54
02/06/2010 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2010
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Kevin Anderson poured in a game-high 29 points and the Spiders road the wave of a dominant first half, taking down No. 17 Temple, 71-54, Saturday at the Robins Center. Richmond has now defeated a Top-25 team at home in three-straight years.
The Spiders improved to 18-6 overall, 7-2 in the A-10 with their fourth victory in six tries over ranked opponents, while the Owls slipped to 19-5, 7-2. The victory pulls Richmond into a tie for second in the jammed-packed A-10 upper half.
Anderson filled up the stat sheet with an 11-of-17 shooting performance from the field, was five-for-five at the free throw line, swiped five rebounds, with three assists and one steal.
David Gonzalvez added 13 and Ryan Butler chipped in 12 for a Spider team that never trailed in the contest, and led by as many as 23 early in the second half against one of the nation's top defensive clubs.
Richmond has now defeated a ranked team at home in each of the last three years - burying No. 16 Dayton, 80-63, in 2007 and besting No. 17 Xavier, 80-75 last year. Before that win over the Flyers in 2007, the Spiders hadn't scored a Top-25 home win in 18 seasons.
On a cold and snowy afternoon, a season-high crowd of 6,806 filled into the Robins Center and witnessed Richmond's most lopsided first-half of the season. The Spiders torched the net to the tune of 77 percent from the field (17-of-22) and 73 percent from three-point range (eight-of-11) in opening a 44-26 halftime lead.
Lavoy Allen posted a double-double for the Owls with 17 points and a game-high 19 rebounds. Ramone Moore added 17.
After the break, back-to-back baskets by Anderson made it 53-30 at the 14:58 mark and brought the Robins Center crowd to a frenzy.
But Temple responded in a big way with a 19-4 run over the next nine minutes and trimmed the lead to just eight (57-49) with 5:54 to play. It was a 12-0 spurt before Butler snapped the drought with a jumper at 9:02.
The visitors got no closer.
Anderson made two free throws with 4:30 left, Francis-Cedric Martel drilled a jumper 90 seconds later and Gonzalvez dealt the dagger with a three in transition, making it 64-51 with 2:46 left.
Richmond, averaging 65.8 points, became the first Temple opponent this season to surpass its scoring average versus the Owls.
The Spiders, who are 11-1 at the Robins Center this season, hit the road for the next two games - a pivotal showdown at Rhode Island (19-3, 7-2) Wednesday and at St. Bonaventure next Saturday.
