University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball GAMEDAY: Howard
12/11/2014 | Men's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond returns home for six of the next seven games as the Spiders open the Gotham Classic against Howard on Saturday night at 6 p.m.
The Spiders (3-4) are a perfect 3-0 at home this season, winning by an average of 14.3 points at the Robins Center. Howard (5-5) only has two wins against NCAA Division I teams and just one win on the road so far.
Last Sunday, the Spiders fell into a neck-and-neck contest with JMU on the road, coming up short on several go-ahead shots late and falling 51-46.
The game featured 15 lead changes and six ties as Richmond never led by more than three points and JMU never more than the final margin of five. Turnovers slowed down each team as both team's defenses scrapped and created loose balls. Both squads committed 13 turnovers and shot under 40 percent from the field as a result of the defensive intensity.
Richmond's Kendall Anthony led all scorers with 16 points. ShawnDre' Jones scored nine points on three treys, while also dishing three assists. Trey Davis and T.J. Cline each scored five points with Davis grabbing a team-high six boards.
Saturday's game will be broadcast locally on CBS 6.3, available on Comcast Ch. 206 and Verizon FiOS Ch. 466. Bob Black and Greg Beckwith will be on the call. On the radio, Robert Fish and Matt Smith will anchor coverage that will be on ESPN 950 AM, 93.1 HANK FM, Sirius Ch. 93 and XM Radio Ch. 201. A live stream of the video is available for purchase on the Atlantic 10 website, while the audio is free on RichmondSpiders.com.
| 2014-15 SPIDER MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL - HOWARD |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (3-4, 0-0) vs. Howard (5-5, 0-0) |
| When | Saturday, Dec. 13, 6 p.m. |
| Where | Richmond, Va. |
| Venue | Robins Center (7,201) |
| TV/Live Video |
WTVR 6.3 Comcast Channel 206; Verizon FiOS Channel 466; CSN+ (in progress, 6:30 pm)[channel finder]; Atlantic 10 Network |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Radio | ESPN 950 AM | 93.1 HANK FM | Sirius Ch. 93 | XM Ch. 201| RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Robert Fish, Matt Smith |
| Live Stats | RichmondSpiders.com |
| Game Notes | Richmond | Howard |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
Opening Tip
Saturday marks the beginning of the Gotham Classic, sponsored by the Gazelle Group. The Spiders will host home games against Howard, South Alabama and IUPUI and play Pepperdine in Madison Square Garden as part of the Classic.
The month of December offers much-needed holiday respite as the Spiders play five of the next six games at home, with the Pepperdine game coming at a neutral site.
Richmond continues to hold strong in the RPI formula, boasting the nation's second-best strength of schedule according to ESPN Daily RPI. Richmond's RPI currently stands at 23.
The Spiders have been perfect at home so far, outscoring opponents by an average of 14.3 points and shooting 51.4 percent from the field. With an average of 5,827, Richmond ranks fourth in the A-10 in home attendance.
Scouting Howard
Howard enters the Gotham Classic with a 5-5 overall record and 2-5 against D-I opponents. Two losses have come against common opponents William & Mary and Radford.
Howard is shooting 42.3 percent from the field, but has struggled from deep, shooting just 27.9 percent. The Bison do average 39.5 rebounds per contest.
James Daniel III leads the Bison with 15.4 points per game, hitting a team-high 19 three-pointers. He has 19 steals and 19 assists with 2.1 rebounds per contest.
Series History
This is the first time that Richmond and Howard have met on the hardwood. Three of Richmond's first eight opponents on the schedule have played the Spiders for the first time this season (High Point, UNI, Howard).
SOS Helping RPI
Through seven games, Richmond has played the second-toughest schedule in the nation, according to ESPN's Daily RPI. The Spiders' four road opponents have a combined record of 27-4. UNI cracked the Top 25 this week, while N.C. State and ODU are receiving votes.
Richmond's current RPI is 23rd in the ESPN Daily RPI.
Spreading the Wealth
The Spiders moved the ball around for a season-high 18 assists against High Point, 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. Six different players have five or more assists for UR this season.
Richmond's assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.1 currently ranks fourth in the A-10 and 61st 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 46.2 percent from the field this season, including 51.2 percent at the Robins Center. UR ranks fourth in the A-10 in field goal percentage.
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 eighth in the country for fewest turnovers with 10.0 per game.
