University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Charlotte
Spiders Finish Regular Season 24-7, 13-3 In A-10 With Win At Charlotte
03/06/2010 | Men's Basketball
March 6, 2010
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Senior David Gonzalvez had a double-double with 29 points and 10 boards, and Kevin Anderson had 24, including the game-tying three-pointer to force overtime as Richmond finished the regular season with an 89-84 win over Charlotte on Saturday.
The Spiders finished the regular-season 24-7, having won 10 of the last 11 games. The 24 wins are the most regular-season victories in school history, surpassing the 1985-86 team that won 22. Richmond is two wins shy of the school record for wins in a complete season, set by the 1987-88 Sweet 16 team (26).
Richmond avenged a loss to Charlotte on Jan. 20, the Spiders' one loss in 15 home games. The Spiders have not lost in regulation since that setback on Jan. 20, with the one loss coming 78-76 in double-overtime at Xavier last Sunday.
The Spiders have defeated every Atlantic 10 team this season except Xavier. That two-point double-overtime loss in Cincinnati was all that separated Richmond from the Atlantic 10 Regular-Season crown and the top-seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
The Spiders still finished third in the standings and will be the third seed in the Atlantic 10 Tourney, the school's best finish in nine years in the league. Richmond earned a bye in the conference tournament for the second time in three seasons. The Spiders will play a quarterfinal game on Friday night at 9 p.m. at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Temple will be the top seed in the conference tournament and Xavier is the two seed. Richmond, Temple and Xavier are the only three conference teams who have finished in the top-5 in the standings in each of the past three seasons.
Gonzalvez scored a season-high 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-8 three-pointers as he moved into sole possession of fifth on Richmond's all-time scoring list with 1,659 points. He had a season-high 10 rebounds, as he registered his first-career double-double. It was Gonzalvez's second double-figure rebounding game, with the other coming when he had 13 boards against Charlotte last season in the Robins Center.
Anderson made 8-of-13 shots, also making 4-of-8 three-pointers, including the game-tying three in the closing seconds of regulation and then another three with 3:52 left in overtime. With 24 points, Anderson tied Jarod Stevenson for ninth on Richmond's all-time scoring list.
Junior Justin Harper scored in double-figures for the 14th time in the last 18 games with six points coming in overtime as he helped the Spiders win for the third-straight year at Charlotte and for the fifth time in the last six games against the 49ers.
Richmond led 64-60 with under five minutes to play, but Charlotte went on a 7-0 run to take a 67-64 lead with 1:33 to play on a tip-in by Chris Braswell.
As he has done in wins over Florida, Rhode Island and to force overtime last Sunday against Xavier, Gonzalvez buried a three-pointer to tie the game at 67.
Charlotte went to the foul line on three-straight possessions in the final 42 seconds, but made 1-of-2 free throws on each of the three trips to give the Spiders a chance to tie with 11 seconds remaining. Anderson dribbled the ball up court on the left wing, took it to the top of the key and calmly buried a trey to send the game into overtime
In overtime Harper opened with a three-pointer and after a Shamari Spears jumper, Anderson made his fourth three of the game to put Richmond up four. Gonzalvez converted an old-fashioned three-point play to open up a seven point lead, and after a Derrio Green three cut the gap to four, Harper finished a pick-and-roll with Anderson in traffic and made the foul shot to push the lead back to seven with 2:17 left.
The Spiders made seven of their last eight free throws to close out the win.
