University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball GAMEDAY: William & Mary
12/02/2014 | Men's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond (2-3) returns home from a tough two-game road trip to face in-state rival William & Mary (5-1) on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Robins Center.
Wednesday marks the 200th meeting between the Spiders and Tribe in a series that began in 1914. Richmond owns the all-time series record, 102-97, and has won seven of the last nine games.
The Spiders currently hold an RPI of 27 after playing the nation's second-toughest schedule through five games. Including William & Mary, Richmond's first six opponents have a combined record of 29-7.
Last Sunday, Richmond outplayed UNI in the second half, but could not overcome a 15-point halftime deficit and fell, 55-50, on the road.
The Spiders shot 39.2 percent for the game, including 14-of-29 from the field in the second half, but UNI converted enough free throws at the end to maintain its lead throughout. Kendall Anthony reached double figures for the fourth time in five games, scoring 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting with two rebounds. Trey Davis exploded for his first double-double of the season and second of his career, scoring a season-high 11 points with 11 rebounds. Davis knocked down four field goals in the second half and drew contact to get three points from the free-throw line.
The game against William & Mary will be broadcast on CSN+ and SNY with Bob Black and Greg Beckwith on the call. It will also be streamed on the Atlantic 10 website as a SpiderTV production. Richmond's radio broadcast will feature Robert Fish and Matt Smith and air live on ESPN 950 AM and 93.1 HANK FM. A simulcast of the audio will also be available on RichmondSpiders.com.
| 2014-15 SPIDER MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL - WILLIAM & MARY |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (2-3, 0-0) vs. William & Mary (5-1) |
| When | Wednesday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m. |
| Where | University of Richmond, Va. |
| Venue | Robins Center (7,201) |
| TV/Live Video |
CSN+ (channel finder) | SNY (channel finder) | A-10 Network |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Radio | ESPN 950 AM | 93.1 HANK FM | RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Robert Fish, Matt Smith |
| Live Stats | RichmondSpiders.com |
| Game Notes | Richmond | William & Mary |
| Pregame Media | Mooney Press Conference | Cline Press Conference |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
| Hashtags | #OneRichmond | #A10MBB |
Opening Tip
Richmond and William & Mary will meet for the 200th time on Wednesday. Richmond has played W&M more than any other opponent and holds a 102-97 edge in the all-time series. The Spiders and Tribe first met on the hardwood in 1914.
Senior Kendall Anthony has reached double figures in scoring in four of five games this year. He leads the Spiders with 15.4 points per game.
T.J. Cline and ShawnDre' Jones have cracked the top 10 of the national statistical rankings. Jones' assist-to-turnover ratio of 9:1 currently ranks third in the country. Cline is shooting 66.7 percent from the floor, ranking 10th in the NCAA.
The Spiders have been playing a difficult set of games so far. Richmond's five opponents are a combined 24-6 and the Spiders rank second in the country in strength of schedule, according to ESPN's Daily RPI.
Scouting William & Mary
After losing to Florida in the season opener, William & Mary has reeled off five wins in a row for a 5-1 record. The Tribe were picked second in the CAA preseason poll.
Marcus Thornton, a preseason All-CAA First Teamer, leads the Tribe with 17.0 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting. Terry Tarpey makes plays all over the court, leading the Tribe in assists (4.0), rebounds (7.2) and blocks (2.0).
The Tribe currently rank 42nd in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 58.3 points per contest, with opponents shooting just 38.8 percent from the field.
Series vs. William & Mary
Wednesday marks the 200th meeting between Richmond and William & Mary on the hardwood, the longest-running series with any opponent in UR history. The first meeting was in 1914, a 32-26 win for the Tribe.
Richmond currently leads the series by a slight margin, 102-97. The Spiders have won the last four matchups, including an 86-78 OT win in 2012, the last time they played in the Robins Center.
Uphill Battle Early
Through five games, Richmond has played the second-toughest schedule in the nation, according to ESPN's Daily RPI. The Spiders opponents have a combined record of 24-6 with UNI, N.C. State and ODU all receiving votes in the national polls.
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 1.3 currently ranks second in the A-10 and 42nd 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 48.2 percent from the field this season, ranking second in the A-10 and 47th 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 fifth in the country for fewest turnovers with 9.2 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 10.8 points in just 15.2 minutes per game. He is a threat to score inside and out, hitting six threes in 10 attempts. He has emerged defensively in the last three games, averaging five rebounds per contest.
Cline's FG percentage of 66.7 currently ranks second in the A-10 and 10th 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 15.4 points per game, good for 10th in the A-10. He also ranks 20th in the country with 37.0 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 five games, Nelson-Ododa has also added an offensive element to his game, averaging 9.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. His foul shooting has been particularly effective, shooting 19-of-22 from the line (.864).
“Zo” has continued to be a shot blocker with four blocks in the season opener and 11 blocks on the season (2.2), ranking third in the A-10 and 57th 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 3.6 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 two turnovers for an assist/turnover ratio of 9.0, leading the A-10 and ranking third in the nation.
Terry's All-En
Junior forward Terry Allen is poised for a breakout season after he averaged 10.2 ppg and 5.7 rpg last year. He shot 50.2 percent from the field, leading the Spiders in scoring efficiency while also posting the team's highest +/- average of 7.87 per game.
Allen notched his second double-figure output this year with 14 points at N.C. State on 6-9 shooting. He is one of Richmond's most versatile players with speed to run the break, size to score in the paint and an ability to hit perimeter shots.
TD Embodies #OneRichmond
Junior Trey Davis is the only Richmond, Va., native on the team's roster and he embodies the toughness and passion of Richmond Basketball. Trey's father, John Davis, was a Hall of Fame forward for Dick Tarrant from 1982-86, helping the Spiders to two NCAA tournaments and an NIT appearance. Trey and John are the third father-and-son combo to play for the Spiders (Jeff-Ryan Butler, Tony-Pat DiServio). Cox Sports tabbed Davis as one of its Top 5 Underrated A-10 players for this season.
Despite standing at just 6-5, he led the team with 6.9 rebounds per game last year, ranking 14th in the conference.
He has averaged 4.6 rebounds per game and 6.6 points per game this year. Davis tallied his second career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds at UNI (11/30).
