Spiders Win 9th Straight at Home to Tie Robins Center Record

Saturday, January 13

Robins Center

6:00 PM

University of Richmond

11-5,3-0Atlantic 10

George Mason

13-4,2-2Atlantic 10

George Mason

Richmond

Photo by: Keith Lucas/Sideline Media

Spiders Win 9th Straight at Home to Tie Robins Center Record

01/13/2024 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Mooney, King Postgame Instant Highlights

RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Spiders built a big lead vs George Mason Saturday and held off a late Patriots rally to secure a 77-70 win, improving to 9-0 at the Robins Center this season. Richmond's nine straight wins at home equal the longest single-season win streak in the 52-year history of the arena, matching nine straight wins in 2009-10 and 1997-98.

"What a great atmosphere, a great conference game," said Spiders coach Chris Mooney. "We're so lucky to have great fans and fans that really care about Richmond basketball. Our students aren't even back yet and there's just a great crowd and great energy in the building. And from what people have told me, they enjoy this team. I think there's a certain energy and grit and determination this team shows that people really enjoy seeing."

Richmond has won six straight games, its longest win streak since December 2021, and is 3-0 in the Atlantic 10. The only other season in which UR opened A-10 play with three straight wins since joining the conference in 2001 is 2016-17, when the Spiders opened 5-0 in conference play.

From the start, the Patriots had no answer for Spiders guard Jordan King. He hit three straight three-pointers in a span of 73 seconds midway through the first half, giving Richmond a 25-17 lead 11:09 before the break. At halftime, King had 23 points on 8-9 shooting (5-6 from three-point range) and the Spiders had a 43-32 lead.

"I don't really remember a half like that for a Spider since I've been here," said Mooney, who is in his 19^th season at Richmond.

Richmond stretched its lead to 17 (60-43) on a three-pointer by Isaiah Bigelow with 11:40 to play and seemed poised to coast to a win. But the Patriots answered with a 13-3 run to cut their deficit to seven with less than seven minutes to play. A three-pointer for Mason's Darius Maddox with 2:31 to go made it a one-possession game, cutting UR's advantage to 69-66. The Patriots got as close as two when a layup with 1:06 remaining made the score 72-70.

But the Spiders went 5-6 from the foul line in the final minute, and Bigelow soared to grab a pair of defensive rebounds to give Richmond its sixth straight win and move the Spiders to 11-5 on the season.

King finished with 31 points, his fourth career 30-point game, and five steals. He was 11-15 from the field, 6-8 from three-point range, and 3-4 from the foul line.

"I got a good look my first shot, and I just felt good after that," said King. "The guys started getting me open: Neal [Quinn] and Mike [Walz] setting good ball screens in transition. Dji [Bailey] finding me on the wing. I just feel like my teammates were helping me get more open."

"Sometimes guys are in a zone, but it doesn't last nearly that long. He hit shots from inside the arc, fading away from the basket, far outside the three-point arc, just really impressive and amazing," said Mooney.

Bigelow added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds. DeLonnie Hunt returned to the starting lineup for the first time since November 20 and responded with 11 points, and Neal Quinn (10 points) also reached double figures for UR.

At 3-0, the Spiders are tied for first in the Atlantic 10 with Dayton and Rhode Island. The Spiders will seek to stay atop the standings Tuesday at Duquesne. Tip-off time is 7 PM and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus and MASN.