University of Richmond Athletics
Men's Basketball GameDay Central - Duquesne
01/27/2017 | Men's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond (12-8, 6-2) will host Duquesne (9-12, 2-6) in a sold-out Robins Center on Saturday night at 6 p.m. The game is the annual Coaches vs. Cancer game presented by Cigna.
Richmond is coming off an instrumental defensive performance where the Spiders slowed one of the league's best offenses to just 18 first-half points and 33.8 percent shooting for the game.
UR has held opponents to just 30.1 percent from beyond the arc, a mark that ranks 15th in the nation.
Richmond now ranks 10th in the country in assist rate at 63.3.
T.J. Cline recorded his eighth double-double on Wednesday which now ranks 2nd in the conference and 37th in the country. It marks the most double-doubles since 1987-88 when Peter Woolfolk tallied 13.
Saturday's game will air on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and TCN Philadelphia with streaming options on the Atlantic 10 Digital Network. Bob Black and Greg Beckwith will be on the call.
The game will also be on the radio on ESPN 950 AM and 107.3 BBT as well streaming on RichmondSpiders.com. It will be on Sirius Channel 81, XM Channel 81 and Internet 81. Robert Fish and Matt Smith will call the action over the radio airwaves.
| 2016-17 SPIDER MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY CENTRAL - DUQUESNE |
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| Who | Richmond Spiders (12-8, 6-2) vs. Duquesne Dukes (9-12, 2-6) |
| When | Saturday, Jan. 28, 6 p.m. |
| Where | Richmond, Va. |
| Venue | Robins Center (7,201) |
| TV | CSN | Channel Finder | Atlantic 10 Digital Network |
| On Air | Bob Black, Greg Beckwith |
| Radio | ESPN 950 AM | 107.3 BBT | Sirius 81; XM 81; Internet 81 | RichmondSpiders.com |
| On Air | Robert Fish, Matt Smith |
| Live Stats | Click Here |
| Game Notes | Notes |
Scouting Duquesne
Duquesne travels to Richmond in hopes of snapping a four-game losing streak. The Dukes have conference victories over Saint Louis and Fordham. Freshman Mike Lewis II leads the team with 12.5 points per game. He has hit a team-high 33 three-pointers and shoots 84.5 percent from the line.
Series vs. Duquesne
The Spiders are 19-1 against the Dukes since joining the Atlantic 10 with the lone loss coming on the road in 2012. Prior to 2002, Duquesne won the first eight games in the series which dates back to 1937.
Assist To...
The Spiders have always run an offense with constant motion and crisp passes that lead to shots in rhythm. Richmond is at its best when every player on the court is setting up someone else for a shot.
This year, the Spiders lead the league in assists (16.5) and assist-turnover ratio (1.3). Richmond has dished more or same assists than the opponent in 17 of the season's 20 games.
UR ranks 10th in the country in assist-to-FG percentage of 63.3.
Award Center
The Spiders have been racking up Atlantic 10 Weekly Awards. UR swept the awards last week with Cline winning Co-Player of the Week and Buckingham earning his second-straight Rookie of the Week. The Spiders have totaled six weekly honors this season, more than any other school.
Cline was also named one of 30 national candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, given to a player that exemplifies leadership, community service, academic excellence and athletic success. The award will name the 10 finalists in February.
P-R-A Machine
T.J. Cline is currently averaging 18.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
Cline is the only player in the NCAA to post his current averages in points, rebounds and assists. He has more assists than any player in the country his height or taller. He ranks 17th in the nation with an assist rate of 37.3.
A preseason All-A-10 First Teamer, Cline ranks fifth in the league in points, second in rebounds and third in assists.
With his 7.2 defensive rebounds per game, Cline ranks 22nd in the country. Charles Stephens (1997-98) was the last Spider to average over eight rebounds a game for an entire season (8.3).
Cline has tallied eight double-doubles this season, more than any other Spider since 1987-88 when Peter Woolfolk tallied 13.
Cline nearly tallied a triple-double against Maryland, scoring 18 points with nine rebounds and nine assists. He then went for 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists at Davidson and had 15-10-9 at Saint Joseph's. No player has recorded a triple-double in Richmond spider history.
Freshmen Impact
On Wednesday, Nick Sherod and De'Monte Buckingham became the first pair of freshmen starters in the Spider lineup since the 2007-08 season (Kevin Anderson, Kevin Smith).
The two have been a vital part of Richmond's success in A-10 play. Buckingham is averaging 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in A-10 play, while Sherod has 8.9 points and 2.3 rebounds. They've both hit 13 treys, second on the team, in conference play.
Buckingham's defense has helped ignite the Spiders at times with his team-leading 20 blocks and 32 steals.
Khwan Effect
Although quiet off the court, Khwan Fore can make a big statement on it. His rim-rattling dunks can make big statements when coming from a 6-0 guard. He had three such dunks in the second half at Dayton. He is Richmond's most athletic player pound-for-pound.
In A-10 play, Fore has averaged 12.5 points with 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He ranks ninth in the league with 1.7 steals per game.
