University of Richmond
VMI
Jones, Spiders Take Down VMI On Opening Night, 72-69
11/12/2016 | Men's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – All preseason long, ShawnDre' Jones spoke about making his final season as a Spider one to remember.
On the opening night of his senior season, Jones put those words into action, pouring in a game-high 31 points to lead the University of Richmond men's basketball team to a thrilling 72-69 win over in-state foe VMI in front of a sold out Robins Center.
“I thought we've done a lot of different things well, but we have things to work if we want to accomplish the goals we've set forth for our team this year,” Jones said.
Jones scored his 31 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-5 from long range. He also added three steals and three assists in the victory. It marked just the second time that Jones has gone over 30 points in his career.
His classmate T.J. Cline added 15 points and five assists, while freshman Nick Sherod led all players with nine rebounds on the night. Cline has now reached double figures in 14 straight games dating back to last year.
“Credit for VMI for playing a really tough, well-executed game. They did an outstanding job of competing all night long,” Head Coach Chris Mooney said. “I thought our defense was promising tonight. I thought we did a pretty good job as far as toughness, communication and awareness, but obviously it's an area we want to continue to improve upon as the season moves forward.”
Jones got the scoring going early knocking down a three-pointer on the game's first possession. Both teams traded baskets before a steal by Marshall Wood led to a basket by Khwan Fore to ignite a 6-0 Spiders run to give Richmond a 14-8 cushion with 12 minutes to play in the first half.
VMI would not go away quietly, battling back to tie the game at 20-20 in the final minutes of the first half, but back-to-back buckets by Jones in the final two minutes of the half sent Richmond into the break with a 25-22 advantage.
The second half with Cline igniting an early Richmond run to give the Spiders a early six-point cushion before VMI clawed back to tie the game.
The second half alone featured 10 ties and 14 lead changes and neither team led by more than three for the final 10 minutes of the contest.
With under two minutes to play, the jammed packed Robins Center crowd proved crucial.
Richmond led by two entering the final 2:05, but every time the Spiders would score, VMI would answer. Both teams went 1-for-2 from the free throw line with under 40 seconds to play, setting up Richmond for the final possession.
Jones drew a foul, which led to a VMI technical, that allowed the senior to step to the line and knock down three free-throws that sealed the opening-night victory for the Spiders, 72-69.
Richmond returns to action on Monday night when they host another in-state foe Old Dominion. Game time on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is set for 7 p.m.
Spiders Outlast VMI, 72-69 by Richmond Athletics on Exposure
