Burton Nets 30 in Loss to Drake

Saturday, November 20

Des Moines, IA

1:00 PM

University of Richmond

2-2,0-0Atlantic 10

Drake

3-0,0-0MVC

Richmond

Drake

11/20/2021 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

DES MOINES, Ia. – In a battle of two of the most-experienced teams in Division I, Drake made the plays it needed down the stretch to defeat Richmond Saturday at Knapp Arena. The Bulldogs, preseason favorites in the Missouri Valley Conference, turned an eight-point deficit into a five-point lead with a 14-1 run late in the second half and escaped with a 73-70 win when Jacob Gilyard's running three-point attempt at the buzzer clanged off the rim.

"We're close, and for long stretches of this game and Georgia State we were really good defensively," said Richmond coach Chris Mooney when asked about the game's final minutes. "We have enough depth and athleticism that we can be an elite defensive team, [but] that's a good team. They played really well, played well down the stretch. We just didn't quite make enough plays down the stretch."

Nick Sherod kept the Spiders close late, hitting a three-pointer to narrow Richmond's deficit to two with two minutes to play and adding a layup and free throw in the final 90 seconds. Following a Sherod free throw with 49 seconds to play, the Spiders trailed 70-68. Richmond dug in to force a contested Bulldogs jumper on the ensuing possession, but Drake was able to grab the offensive rebound with 17 seconds left.

"They were able to just come up with it," said Mooney of the play. "We actually had a good defensive possession. We were able to have a lot of bodies in there to come up with the rebound. Obviously we need to do a better job blocking out."

Following a pair of free throws to make the score 72-68, Tyler Burton close the gap to two with a lay-in at the other end off an entry pass from Jacob Gilyard. Richmond fouled D.J. Wilkins, who missed a pair of free throws, but Drake's Tucker Devries grabbed a long offensive rebound and was fouled. He made one of two at the line, and Richmond's last gasp three-pointer by Gilyard was off target.

Burton finished with a game and career-high 30 points, the most by any Spider since Grant Golden scored 33 vs Wyoming on November 21, 2018. He shot 11-17 from the field, 4-6 from three-point range, and added a team-high nine rebounds.

"Tyler was terrific," said Mooney. "He's getting more and more confident … not only in his shooting but he made a great dribble move in the second half for an And-1 and he made a really great play in the first half along the baseline to score which was another And-1. Those are the kind plays I'd like to see him continue to make because they show his aggressiveness, his overall ability and his strength and length and all those things that make him special."

Grant Golden added 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists and crossed the 1,800-career point mark at Richmond. Gilyard finished with six points, five assists, and four steals. Gilyard increased his career steals total to 375, passing VCU's Briante Weber for the third-most in Division I history.

Richmond will return to action Monday vs Hofstra at the Robins Center. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus, SNY, and NBC Sports Washington Plus.