University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball GAMEDAY: UNI
11/28/2014 | Men's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. - Richmond (2-2) will look to bounce back from a tough loss at N.C. State on Wednesday as the Spiders travel out to Iowa to face the undefeated Panthers of UNI (6-0).
The Spiders and Panthers will tip off at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT on ESPN3.
Richmond shot lights out in the first half and hit a season-high 11 three-pointers, but N.C. State stayed right with the Spiders and eventually pulled away for an 84-72 victory on Wednesday night at PNC Arena.
The Spiders connected on 72 percent of their shots in the first half, finishing with a 48.3 percent mark from the field. Richmond's Kendall Anthony and T.J. Cline led the offense with 17 points apiece, a new career high for Cline. Anthony shot 7-of-14, while Cline went 6-of-9 with a career-best four three-pointers. Cline added seven rebounds for the second-straight game, leading the Spiders. Terry Allen scored 14 points with two three-pointers, also going 6-of-9 from the field. Trey Davis had a season-best eight points, Alonzo-Nelson Ododa went for eight points and five rebounds.
Wednesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN3 online with Eric Braley and Kevin Lehman on the call. With participating providers, fans can access ESPN3 on the web, phones and tablets through the WatchESPN app. The game will also be broadcast locally on CBS 6.3 and CSN-MA, tape-delayed at 7 p.m. Richmond's radio broadcast will feature Robert Fish and Greg Beckwith and air live on 93.1 HANK FM. A simulcast of the audio will also be available on RichmondSpiders.com.
| 2014-15 SPIDER MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL - UNI |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (2-2, 0-0) at UNI (6-0) |
| When | Sunday, November 30, 2014, 3 p.m. ET |
| Where | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Venue | McLeod Center (6,650) |
| TV/Live Video |
ESPN3 | CBS 6.3 LIve 3pm ET - Comcast 206; Verizon Fios 466; |
| On Air | Eric Braley, Kevin Lehman |
| Radio | 93.1 HANK FM | RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Robert Fish, Greg Beckwith |
| Live Stats | RichmondSpiders.com |
| Game Notes | Richmond | UNI |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
| Hashtags | #OneRichmond | #A10MBB |
Opening Tip
Richmond continues its hot shooting offense after going 72 percent from the field in the first half against N.C. State. The Spiders are shooting 50.5 FG this season, ranking 24th in the NCAA.
The Spiders are currently ranked 42nd in ESPN's RPI, sporting the 18th-best strength of schedule in the country.
The Spiders are looking for their first road win of the season after hard-fought losses against ODU (4-1) and N.C. State (6-0).
T.J. Cline has been a dynamic force off the bench, averaging 13.5 points in just 16.8 minutes per game. His FG pct. of 73.3 ranks fifth in the country.
The Spiders have shot a cool 72.4 percent from the free throw line, ranking third in the A-10.
Scouting Northern Iowa
UNI is off to a hot start, going 6-0 and winning the 2014 Cancun Challenge with wins over Virginia Tech and Northwestern. UNI 's 6-0 start matches the school's best NCAA Division I start, which came in the 1999-2000 season. The Panthers also garnered national recognition by ending Stephen F. Austin's nation-leading home winning streak during ESPN's 24-hour TipOff Marathon.
Senior forward Seth Tuttle was named the MVP of the 2014 Cancun Challenge after leading UNI to the title. Tuttle averaging 15.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.3 apg and shooting 64.5 percent from the field in the four games.
UNI is receiving votes on both the Associated Press and Coaches polls this week. UNI tallied 17 points in the latest AP poll and six points in the latest Coaches poll on Nov. 24.
Series vs. UNI
Sunday represents the first game against UNI in program history.
Spreading the Wealth
The Spiders moved the ball around for a season-high 18 assists against HPU, including five from Trey Davis and four from ShawnDre' Jones. UR followed that up with a 17-assist effort against N.C. State, including a career-high six from Jones. Five different players have six or more assists for UR this season.
Richmond's assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.6 currently ranks second in the A-10 and 20th in the NCAA.
White-Hot Shooting
The Spiders were white-hot in the first half against High Point, shooting 68.0 percent from the floor. Despite a non-competitive second half, Richmond finished with a 61.2 percent game, the first time shooting over 60 percent in a game since 2011 against William & Mary.
The Spiders followed that up with an even better first half against N.C. State, shooting 72 percent from the field and finishing the game with a mark of 48 percent.
Richmond is shooting 50.5 percent from the field this season, ranking second in the A-10 and 24th in the country.
Protecting The Rock
Richmond has been very protective of the ball this season with a stellar backcourt and skilled frontcourt that rarely turns it over. Richmond currently ranks fourth in the country for fewest turnovers with 8.8 per game.
Cline Winning 6th Man Award
CBS Sports national writer Jon Rothstein lists T.J. Cline as one of the top underrated transfers in the country this season as he gets his first action with the Spiders. He had to sit out 2013-14 after transferring from Niagara.
So far, Cline could make a case for the nation's best sixth man, coming off the bench to average 13.5 points in just 16.8 minutes per game. He is a threat to score inside and out, tying for the team lead with six threes in 10 attempts. He has emerged defensively in the last two games, gathering seven rebounds in each.
Cline's FG percentage of 73.3 currently ranks second in the A-10 and fifth in the NCAA.
A native of Plano, Texas, Cline is the son of Hall of Fame women's basketball player Nancy Lieberman.
Anthony Taking Charge
After a close loss at Old Dominion, Anthony led the charge in Richmond's bounce-back win against High Point, showing great leadership and emotion in an 18-pt, 6-of-6 FG, first half. Anthony hit all four threes that he took en route to a 22-point game, his 18th career 20-point game. He followed that up with a gutsy 17-point, 40-minute effort at N.C. State.
Anthony leads the team with 16.3 points per game, good for seventh in the A-10. He also ranks 36th in the country with 36.2 minutes per game.
Anthony was picked to the Preseason Atlantic 10 First Team after earning Second Team honors last year.
Zo Patrols The Paint
A junior shot-blocker from Atlanta, Ga., Nelson-Ododa has forged his reputation as a rim protector in his years with the Spiders. He was tabbed for the Preseason Atlantic 10 Defensive Team back in October.
Through three games, Nelson-Ododa has also added an offensive element to his game, averaging 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. His foul shooting has been particularly effective, shooting 16-of-18 from the line (.889).
“Zo” has continued to be a shot blocker with four blocks in the season opener and eight blocks on the season (2.0), ranking third in the A-10 and 75th in the country.
Jones Distributing The Rock
Sophomore guard ShawnDre' Jones is poised for a breakout sophomore campaign on the hardwood. The Houston, Texas, native was highlighted by Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn as one of his top breakout sophomore candidates for the 2014-15 men's basketball season.
Jones has emerged as the team's primary distributor, averaging 4.0 assists per game after career highs against High Point (5 assts) and N.C. State (6 assts). Jones has been so effective in taking care of the rock, he only has one turnover for assist/turnover ratio of 16.0, leading the A-10 and ranking fourth in the nation.
