Spiders Overpower GW For Biggest Road Win In Two Years

Saturday, January 12

Washington, D.C.

4:00 PM

University of Richmond

(7-9, 1-2 A-10)

George Washington

(5-11, 1-2 A-10)

Richmond

George Washington

Spiders Overpower GW For Biggest Road Win In Two Years

01/12/2019 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery AUDIO: Coach Mooney Post Game AUDIO: Nathan Cayo Post Game

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Spiders played their best defensive game of the season and Nathan Cayo led four Spiders in double figures with 18 points as Richmond beat George Washington 76-56 at the Smith Center on Saturday.

"We played a great defensive game," said coach Chris Mooney to Bob Black on ESPN Richmond after the game. "We were able to read our scouting report and anticipate. I thought we were a step slow the first 15 minutes … and then I think we kind of found it a little bit. You have to really pay attention to the scouting report because if you're closing out to a shooter that's one speed – if you're closing out to a driver that's another. I thought we did a good job and made it difficult for them to score. You don't get many double-digit wins on the road so I'm really proud of our guys and very happy for them."

The 20-point win was Richmond's largest on the road since a 70-48 win at Fordham on February 25, 2017 and tied for the Spiders second-largest road win over the last five seasons.

For the third time this season, Richmond never trailed in the game. The Spiders opened an 11-5 lead in the game's first three minutes as freshman Andre Gustavson, making his second start of the season and first since Georgetown, hit a pair of three-pointers.

Richmond extended the lead to as many as eight and led by three at halftime, 35-32. The Spiders broke the game open with an 8-0 run to start the second half behind a pair of three-pointers by Jake Wojcik.

"That run was just tremendous. We made a couple of shots and we were getting stops and that was the theme of the second half," said Mooney.

George Washington was never able to pull closer than eight over the remainder of the game as the Spiders improved to 5-4 in their last nine games following a 2-5 start to the season. Richmond is now 4-1 in its last five games at George Washington's Smith Center.

Cayo scored a game-high 18 points – the fourth time he's led Richmond in scoring this season - and added seven rebounds, one off his career high. Grant Golden added 17 points and four assists, tied with Julius Johnson for the team high.

Jacob Gilyard scored all 12 of his points in the second half and recorded four steals, moving the sophomore into a tie for 10^th with Scott Stapleton on Richmond's career steals list at 136.

With Gustavson joining freshman Wojcik and sophomores Cayo, Golden, and Gilyard in the starting lineup, the Spiders didn't start a junior or senior for the first time in Chris Mooney's 14 seasons at Richmond.

The Spiders will return to action Wednesday with a game against Duquesne at the Robins Center. The contest can be seen on NBC Sports Washington Plus and ESPN Plus and will tip at 7 PM.