University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball GAMEDAY: Pepperdine
12/19/2014 | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK - Richmond (5-4) will take on Pepperdine (7-2) in the premier night of the Gotham Classic on Dec. 20 at Madison Square Garden.
The 7 p.m. contest will be aired on ESPN3 with Doug Sherman and Bob Knight calling the action.
The game is just the second time that Richmond men's basketball has ever played in the World's Most Famous Arena. None of the current staff or team has played or coached in the Garden.
Terry Allen scored 17 second-half points to propel the Spiders to a 65-54 victory over South Alabama on Thursday night. Allen put together his best performance of the season, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds. He shot 6-of-11 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line while dishing two assists and making a block and steal. His three-pointer with 1:20 left was the knockout punch in the Spiders victory.
Senior Kendall Anthony scored a game-high 18 points, his team-best seventh double-digit performance this year. He also had three assists, three rebounds and a steal.
Fans can watch the game through the WatchESPN app, available on the web, iPad and iPhone. On the radio, Bob Black and Greg Beckwith will anchor coverage that will be on 93.1 HANK FM, Sirius Ch. 92 and XM Radio Ch. 203.
| 2014-15 SPIDER MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL - PEPPERDINE |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (5-4, 0-0) vs. Pepperdine (7-2, 0-0) |
| When | Saturday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. |
| Where | New York City |
| Venue | Madison Square Garden |
| Live Video |
WatchESPN |
| On Air | Doug Sherman, Bob Knight |
| Radio | 93.1 HANK FM | Sirius Ch. 92 | XM Ch. 203 | RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Live Stats | Click Here |
| Game Notes | Richmond |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
Opening Tip
Richmond plays in Madison Square Garden for the first time since 2002. The game is the premier night of the Gotham Classic, sponsored by the Gazelle Group.
With 171 wins at Richmond, head coach Chris Mooney is third all-time at UR, trailing Malcolm U. Pitt (197) and Dick Tarrant (239).
UR will be looking for its first win away from home on Saturday night. The Spiders are a perfect 5-0 at home and 0-4 on the road so far.
No Richmond coaches or players have ever coached or played at Madison Square Garden before. The Spiders are familiar with NYC with games at Fordham and the A-10 in Barclays Center.
Richmond had four players score in double figures in the win over South Alabama. Kendall Anthony led the way with 18 points, while Terry Allen had 17 points, all coming in the second half.
Scouting Pepperdine
Pepperdine flies across the country after starting the Gotham Classic with wins over South Alabama and Howard to improve to 7-2.
Pepperdine leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense (20.5). Stacy Davis has double-doubles in each of the first two Gotham Classic games, while Amadi Udenyi is coming off a career-high 16 points in the win over Howard. The Waves committed just seven turnovers in each of the Gotham Classic game.
This is the second meeting between Richmond and Pepperdine. The Waves defeated the Spiders, 83-77, in December of 2002.
World's Most Famous Arena
The lights will be shining bright on the Spiders in the World's Most Famous Arena on Saturday night. Richmond has only played in the Garden once, on Dec. 20, 2002, a loss to Manhattan.
Current head coach Chris Mooney has never coached nor played in the Garden, while every current player will be making their MSG debut.
SOS Helping RPI
Through nine games, Richmond's strength of schedule is 37th in the country, putting the Spiders at 64 in the ESPN Daily RPI.
Richmond's four road opponents currently have a combined record of 33-7 with UNI, Old Dominion and N.C. State all in the top 50 of the RPI.
Perfection in Robins
The Spiders are 5-0 at home this year with some outstanding defense in those games. Richmond has held opponents to just 38.4 FG shooting and 52.8 points per game at the Robins Center.
Conversely, Richmond has shot 46.7 percent from the field at home with a 12.6-7.4 advantage in assists per game and a +5.4 turnover margin.
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. With 12 assists against Radford, Howard and South Alabama, UR has only played one game with single-digit assists. Six different players have six or more assists for UR this season.
Richmond's assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.1 currently ranks fourth in the A-10 and 105th in the NCAA.
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 12th in the country for fewest turnovers with 10.6 per game.
Getting Caught In The Web
Richmond's defensive reputation extends beyond the conference region as teams and media around the country have come to respect UR's unique approach to a matchup zone.
Regardless of what you call it, Mooney's defenses have been formidable. Last season, Richmond ranked second in the A-10 and 52nd in the country in scoring defense (65.2). The Spiders held opponents to just 30.1 percent shooting from long range, a mark that ranked 15th in the country.
This season, opponents are averaging just 57.4 points per game, 2nd-best in the A-10 and 31st in the country. Opponents are shooting just 40.3 percent from the field, and the Spiders' third-ranked +2.44 turnover margin has led to an average of 15.7 points off turnovers, including 27 vs. William & Mary and 21 against Howard. The Spiders have won the points off turnovers battle in seven of the nine games this season.
Richmond makes it a point to not allow transition baskets as opponents have averaged just 4.9 transition points per game.
Tall Guys Shoot Free
Richmond's big men have been incredibly efficient from the free throw line this season. Terry Allen is fourth in the conference in free throw percentage (85.2), while Alonzo Nelson-Ododa is sixth (83.3). They are the two best FT shooters at the forward or center position in the A-10. 
