University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball GAMEDAY: IUPUI
12/22/2014 | Men's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond men's basketball team (6-4) will go for its fourth win in a row on Tuesday in a noon bout with IUPUI (3-8).
The game is the finale of the Gotham Classic where the Spiders are 3-0 with home wins over Howard and South Alabama and a victory in Madison Square Garden over Pepperdine.
Richmond guards Kendall Anthony and ShawnDre' Jones had their Garden moments, hitting big shots in the final three minutes of play as Richmond won a 65-63 victory over Pepperdine in Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
But it was Richmond's forwards who ultimately propelled the Spiders to victory over the Waves.
Redshirt-sophomore T.J. Cline was named Gotham Classic Most Outstanding Player after scoring a team-high 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Cline added five rebounds and three assists. Junior Trey Davis swiped a career-high five steals, one of which led to a thunderous run-out dunk, as he tallied double digits for the second time this season with 11 points. Terry Allen scored 11 points with four rebounds and Deion Taylor finished with nine points and five rebounds.
Fans can watch Tuesday's game through SpiderTV on the Atlantic 10 Network on Atlantic10.com. On the radio, Bob Black and Greg Beckwith will anchor coverage that will be on ESPN 950 AM and Sports FM 100.5. A free audio stream will also be available on RichmondSpiders.com.
| 2014-15 SPIDER MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL - IUPUI |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (6-4, 0-0) vs. IUPUI (3-8, 0-0) |
| When | Tuesday, Dec. 23, Noon |
| Where | Richmond, Va. |
| Venue | Robins Center (7,201) |
| Live Video | Atlantic 10 Network |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Radio | ESPN 950 AM | Sports FM 100.5 | RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Live Stats | Click Here |
| Game Notes | Richmond |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
Opening Tip
Richmond picked up its first program win in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, using strong defense and scoring from the forward group.
With a current three-game winning streak, UR looks to sweep the Gotham Classic and match last season's longest winning streak (4).
The Spiders rank 33rd in the NCAA and second in the A-10 in scoring defense this season, allowing just 58.0 points per game.
At home, UR is holding opponents to just 38.4 percent shooting, including 29.9 from three.
UR's win over Pepperdine vaulted the Spiders back into the top 50 of ESPN's Daily RPI, landing at 31 with a strength of schedule of 20.
Scouting IUPUI
The IUPUI Jaguars snapped a six-game skid with an overtime victory over South Alabama on Saturday afternoon at home.
The Jaguars are shooting under 30 percent from long range this season, and allowing over 71 points per game. No player is averaging in double figures in scoring.
Leading scorer Marcellus Barksdale is averaging 9.6 points per game with 4.8 rebounds per contest. He leads the team with 26 steals but also has 24 turnovers against 25 assists.
DavRon Williams is the team's best rebounder at 6.0 per game and he has a team-high five blocks.
Garden Moments
With the lights shining bright in midtown Manhattan, many Spiders had signature Garden moments in an exciting two-point win that came down to the last possession.
Kendall Anthony hit a huge three to put the Spiders up six with three minutes left. ShawnDre' Jones hit a buzzer-beating layup in the first half and a floater off the glass with a minute left. Trey Davis had five steals and a run-out, one-hand jam. T.J. Cline earned Gotham Classic MVP after leading the team with 13 points.
SOS Helping RPI
Through 10 games, Richmond's strength of schedule is 20th in the country, putting the Spiders at 31 in the ESPN Daily RPI.
Richmond's four road opponents currently have a combined record of 35-9 with UNI and Old Dominion in the top 25 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, South Alabama and 11 vs. Pepperdine, UR has only played one game with single-digit assists. Six different players have nine or more assists for UR this season.
Richmond's assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.1 currently ranks fifth in the A-10.
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 20th in the country for fewest turnovers with 10.8 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 58.0 points per game, 2nd-best in the A-10 and 33rd in the country. Opponents are shooting just 41.1 percent from the field, and the Spiders' fourth-ranked +2.20 turnover margin has led to an average of 15.3 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 10 games this season.
Richmond makes it a point to not allow transition baskets as opponents have averaged just 4.4 transition points per game.
Tall Guys Shoot Free
Richmond's big men have been incredibly efficient from the free throw line this season. Alonzo Nelson-Ododa is fifth in the conference in free throw percentage (83.3), while Terry Allen is eighth (80.6). They are the two best FT shooters at the forward or center position in the A-10.
Cline, A Master of Efficiency
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.
After coming off the bench in the first seven games, Cline earned his first career start against Howard (12/13), scoring five points. He followed that up with a 10-point, eight-rebound performance vs. South Alabama and a 13-point MVP performance in the Garden against Pepperdine.
He is averaging 9.7 points per game with a field goal percentage of 59.1 which ranks sixth in the conference. Cline's field goal percentage is second-highest over the first 10 games of a season in Mooney's tenure. Justin Harper shot 60.6 FG in the first 10 of 2010-11.
A dangerous three-point passer and excellent passer for a forward, Cline has hit eight threes and has 13 assists.
A native of Plano, Texas, Cline is the son of Hall of Fame women's basketball player Nancy Lieberman.
